South African Company Set to Produce HIV-Protective Vaginal Rings

A South African company will be producing affordable HIV-protective vaginal rings for increased accessibility.

On Thursday, The Population Council announced that Kiara Health in Johannesburg will begin manufacturing silicone rings in the coming years.

The projected annual production is around 1 million, with approval from almost a dozen countries and the World Health Organization.

Currently, the nonprofit has about 500,00 rings available to women in Africa at no cost.

According to Ben Phillips, a spokesman at the U.N. AIDS agency, the ring offers women the freedom to use it discreetly without others’ knowledge or consent,” ABC News reports. 

“For women whose partners won’t use a condom or allow them to take oral (preventive HIV) medicines, this gives them another option,” he said.

Priced at $12-16, the ring slowly dispenses dapivirine over a month. A three-month version is in the works to help reduce the annual expense.

WHO recommends the ring for women at “substantial risk of HIV.” Over a dozen African countries, including South Africa and Uganda, have approved it. Studies indicate a one-third risk reduction, with other research suggesting over 50%.

In Africa, HIV is the primary cause of death among women of reproductive age, with 60% of new infections occurring in women, according to WHO figures.