Human rights march during the Vienna conference (Dave Wessner photo)

By CATHRYN WESTRA
DavidsonNews.net

Updated Tuesday, Aug. 10
The southern U.S. is a “geographical hot spot” for HIV infection and North Carolina ranked 5th in the country in 2007 for the number of women with the disease. Perhaps it is no surprise then that there are many people in the region working toward eradicating the AIDS pandemic. Toward that end, two Davidson residents were at the XVIII International AIDS conference in Vienna, Austria, last week: Paige Baker, the executive editor for AIDS.gov, and Davidson College biology professor David Wessner. In interviews this week they reflected on the proceedings, which they said offered hopeful developments and announcements in the field.

Dave Wessner

By far the most exciting conference announcement, in Dr. Wessner’s view, was news of a new and effective vaginal microbicide. The drug, known as tenofovir,  comes in the form of a gel. Women can apply it topically within 12 hours before or after sex to greatly reduce their risk of contracting HIV.

According to one study, the microbicide “reduced the risk of HIV infection by 39 percent in a group of women who used it in 75 percent of their sexual encounters” and those who used it more consistently “experienced 54 percent fewer infections.”

Experts are welcoming the treatment, especially for women in compromised circumstances, such as those forced to work in the sex trade or those in male dominated relationships who are afraid to ask partners to use protection. “Microbicide gives women the ability to control their situation to some degree,”  Dr. Wessner told DavidsonNews.net.

Paige Baker

Ms. Baker, still busy overseas, was able to catch up with Davidson News via telephone . In her eyes the 2010 AIDS conference was a particularly hopeful one where a lot of focus was placed on new methods of preventing contraction of the disease.

“My passion is prevention,” she said, “because AIDS is a very expensive disease to treat, and many don’t recognize that a thin piece of latex will keep you safe.”

She said if you’re sexually active with a partner whose HIV status is unknown, you are always safer using a condom than without.
Condoms’ effectiveness is 80 to 95 percent percent, depending on how consistently and correctly they are used. “It’s that simple,” she said.

As a mother of a teen, Ms. Baker especially wants to get this message out to young people who often underestimate their risk.  Fortunately, in addition to the microbicide, the conference spent a lot of time discussing other new prevention methods.

Ms. Baker and Dr. Wessner have attended AIDS conferences in years past and both agreed that the 2010 meeting was the most optimistic they’d been to.

“I feel we’re on the verge of turning a corner,” Dr. Wessner said. “There has been a decrease in new cases in a number of African countries. The message regarding prevention and treatments seem to be getting through.”

Having Austria host the XVIII International AIDS conference was noteworthy because Eastern Europe (and Central Asia) are two regions where the pandemic is surprisingly getting worse. Vienna is right on the border of Eastern and Western Europe. In addition sex workers are employed there legally.

The XIX International AIDS Conference 2012 will be held in Washington, D.C., where the prevalence of AIDS is nearly 3 percent – comparable to some African countries.

Further information on Dr. Wessner’s experience at the conference and for updates on the field of AIDS research be sure to check out his blog, The AIDS Pandemic. To learn more about HIV/AIDS and its prevention in general visit the site that Paige Baker edits, AIDS.gov.

CORRECTION

This article has been updated to correct some data. The effectiveness rate of condoms was incorrect. And information about the fastest growing group for HIV infections also was incorrect.

IMAGES FROM VIENNA

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