5 ms·

RISUG is indeed a great contraceptive, but when talking about its benefits for HIV we should be incredibly careful. RISUG isn't a cure-all. Transmission is sti

RISUG is indeed a great contraceptive, but when talking about its benefits for HIV we should be incredibly careful. RISUG isn't a cure-all. Transmission is still possible through microtears and directly through the skin of the glans penis and the meatus. And RISUG does nothing to prevent female->male transmission. It's far too easy for "RISUG inactivates HIV in some components of semen" to transmute into "It's ok baby, I got a shot that protects me from HIV!"

dr_ 15y ago
female to male transmission rates are really low in general.
- baddox 15y ago
  All sexual transmission rates are pretty "low," if Wikipedia's sources are accurate. Even anal intercourse is under 2%.
  - philwelch 15y ago
    Per incidence; that's a 1 out of 50 chance every single time.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - loup-vaillant 15y ago
      Meaning, you reach 50% after 35 times.
      - ianterrell 15y ago
        That was a fun weekend!
  - ashconnor 15y ago
    Depends on when your partner was infected. If it was recently then the transmission rate is very high.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- tomp 15y ago
  It can't be that low... How do men (heterosexuals) get infected then?
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - wakeup 15y ago
    Pro-Tip: AIDS/HIV does not exist. It's a poverty/fucked up life conditions induced sympthome worsened by hardcore medication which leads to death (cleansing of the population, extermination of the poor scum). Mass propaganda makes this lie stand, fear makes it stick.
  - juliano_q 15y ago
    The contamination of heterosexuals man is hard. It happens, but is very hard. This information is not well spread because it can stimulate men to stop using condoms and increase the risk for women.
  - rdl 15y ago
    IV drug use is a major vector still. Also, HIV transmission is more likely with other STDs. If you have open syphlitic sores on your penis, you are more likely to contract HIV.
    - DanBC 15y ago
      Not forgetting that HIV increases the risk of getting those other STIs too. There's been some speculation about why rates of HIV vary so widely across Africa. (http://www.irinnews.org/Report/91305/AFRICA-Risky-sex-does-not-equal-HIV-risk-study http://www.irinnews.org/Report/91305/AFRICA-Risky-sex-does-n...) Unsafe injection is the most efficient way to transmit the virus. It's scary that so many injections in the developing world are unsafe. (UNICEF say "16 billion injections are administered each year, of which 90 percent are for curative purposes; 50 percent of the total number of injections are unsafe.") (http://www.irinnews.org/Report/85278/AFRICA-Poor-syringe-hygiene-can-be-fatal http://www.irinnews.org/Report/85278/AFRICA-Poor-syringe-hyg...) The amount of money needed to make a difference is probably (relatively) small. But changing behaviour is hard. (http://www.path.org/our-work/safe-injection.php http://www.path.org/our-work/safe-injection.php)
electromagnetic 15y ago
Agreed, but spread knowledge of this in Africa where HIV is a big problem, and isn't well understood or cared about (to western standards) and not only could it be a cheap and affordable birth control, but if it reduces the risk in transmission of HIV then its still coming up double.
- henryprecheur 15y ago
  That policy is a bit risky. That might diminish the use of other things that reduce significantly the spread of HIV, like condoms. It's still unknown how effective the gel is: maybe 90%, maybe 5%, condoms are 90% effective AFAIK[1]. [1] http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416 http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416
  - manmal 15y ago
    I doubt that a contraceptive with 5% effectiveness would make it this far in trials. Even "pulling out" is more effective than 5%.
    - kiiski 15y ago
      I think he was talking about HIV.
    - rdl 15y ago
      Also, contraceptive success is usually annualized, like with correct condom use, pregnancy happens less than 3 percent per year. I assume there is a standardized level of sexual activity for that, too.

dr_ 15y ago

female to male transmission rates are really low in general.

baddox 15y ago
All sexual transmission rates are pretty "low," if Wikipedia's sources are accurate. Even anal intercourse is under 2%.
- philwelch 15y ago
  Per incidence; that's a 1 out of 50 chance every single time.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - loup-vaillant 15y ago
    Meaning, you reach 50% after 35 times.
    - ianterrell 15y ago
      That was a fun weekend!
- ashconnor 15y ago
  Depends on when your partner was infected. If it was recently then the transmission rate is very high.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
tomp 15y ago
It can't be that low... How do men (heterosexuals) get infected then?
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- wakeup 15y ago
  Pro-Tip: AIDS/HIV does not exist. It's a poverty/fucked up life conditions induced sympthome worsened by hardcore medication which leads to death (cleansing of the population, extermination of the poor scum). Mass propaganda makes this lie stand, fear makes it stick.
- juliano_q 15y ago
  The contamination of heterosexuals man is hard. It happens, but is very hard. This information is not well spread because it can stimulate men to stop using condoms and increase the risk for women.
- rdl 15y ago
  IV drug use is a major vector still. Also, HIV transmission is more likely with other STDs. If you have open syphlitic sores on your penis, you are more likely to contract HIV.
  - DanBC 15y ago
    Not forgetting that HIV increases the risk of getting those other STIs too. There's been some speculation about why rates of HIV vary so widely across Africa. (http://www.irinnews.org/Report/91305/AFRICA-Risky-sex-does-not-equal-HIV-risk-study http://www.irinnews.org/Report/91305/AFRICA-Risky-sex-does-n...) Unsafe injection is the most efficient way to transmit the virus. It's scary that so many injections in the developing world are unsafe. (UNICEF say "16 billion injections are administered each year, of which 90 percent are for curative purposes; 50 percent of the total number of injections are unsafe.") (http://www.irinnews.org/Report/85278/AFRICA-Poor-syringe-hygiene-can-be-fatal http://www.irinnews.org/Report/85278/AFRICA-Poor-syringe-hyg...) The amount of money needed to make a difference is probably (relatively) small. But changing behaviour is hard. (http://www.path.org/our-work/safe-injection.php http://www.path.org/our-work/safe-injection.php)

electromagnetic 15y ago

Agreed, but spread knowledge of this in Africa where HIV is a big problem, and isn't well understood or cared about (to western standards) and not only could it be a cheap and affordable birth control, but if it reduces the risk in transmission of HIV then its still coming up double.

henryprecheur 15y ago
That policy is a bit risky. That might diminish the use of other things that reduce significantly the spread of HIV, like condoms. It's still unknown how effective the gel is: maybe 90%, maybe 5%, condoms are 90% effective AFAIK[1]. [1] http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416 http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/416
- manmal 15y ago
  I doubt that a contraceptive with 5% effectiveness would make it this far in trials. Even "pulling out" is more effective than 5%.
  - kiiski 15y ago
    I think he was talking about HIV.
  - rdl 15y ago
    Also, contraceptive success is usually annualized, like with correct condom use, pregnancy happens less than 3 percent per year. I assume there is a standardized level of sexual activity for that, too.