Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
Associated Press - March 26, 2004
Health authorities were recruiting 960 sex workers in Cambodia to participate in a one-year study of the drug, tenofovir DF, already used globally as an approved HIV treatment, the Phnom Penh Post reported.
But the Women's Network for Unity, a prostitutes' group, is worried about the side effects of taking the drug for prevention purposes. When taken for treatment, the side effects - which don't happen often - are mostly nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
The women's network wants insurance to cover side effects from taking the drug for up to 30 years after the study. They're planning a conference Monday to discuss participating.
"If the drug manufacturer doesn't give us insurance...we won't agree to take the drug," the Post quoted an unidentified spokesperson for the group as saying.
Members of the Women's Network for Unity couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Cambodia has Southeast Asia's highest HIV infection rate, though it has dropped from 3.8% in 1997 to 2.6% in 2002.
Cambodia was chosen for the prevention drug test due to its high HIV rates, the report quoted Vonthanak Saphonn, a researcher for the National Center for HIV/AIDS, as saying.
Participants would receive free health care during the study and would be closely monitored, he said.
The project is part of the US$6.5 million grant given by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Family Health International for studies in several nations to test a drug for reducing the HIV infection risk among sexually active adults regularly exposed to the virus.
Although condoms help prevent the spread of viruses, it is sometimes difficult for women to ensure that their partners use them, and the drug may prove to be an alternative, according to the foundation. Tenofovir DF is marketed as VireadR.
040326
AP040353
Copyright © 2004 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2004. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2004. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .