One of the newest treatments for HIV prevention are Microbicides. These are pre- exposure prophylaxis or (PrEP). To understand how they work it is necessary to explain a little what the HIV virus is: It is a retrovirus, this means it varies a single strand of RNA in its genetic material, instead of the double strand of DNA that humans carry.
A retrovirus has an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which allows it to copy RNA into DNA, using the DNA “Copy” to infect human host cells. The virus uses the host cell’s machinery to replicate itself using a process called (Reverse transcription) the new copies of HIV move on to infect other cells.
ARV or antiretroviral drugs offer protection against HIV. The microbicides work by targeting HIV at different levels in the life cycle of the virus.
First by cell fusion; this prevents the virus from entering the human cell.
Reverse transcription; the copying of viral RNA into DNA, blocking the virus from integrating with the human cell or making copies of itself.
These microbicides are relatively easy to use, they come in a vaginal rings, that can be inserted by hand, tablets and film.
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