The easy-to-use ring delivers controlled doses of tenofovir (a common antiretroviral drug) and levonorgestrel (a contraceptive) for 90 days. The rings are being manufactured now, and the device soon will undergo its first test in women.
It will be the first device with the potential to offer this protection to be tested in women.
“I suspect women will use the ring primarily for contraception, but they also will benefit from protection against sexually transmitted diseases,” said Kiser, an expert in intravaginal drug delivery. “And for women in the developing world in particular, unwanted pregnancy can have significant health, economic and cultural consequences. We want to motivate women to use this ring.”
