Results Expected Soon in Microbicide Trial

Results of a double-blind Phase III trial studying the microbicide Carraguard in South African women will be released shortly.

Approximately 2,500 women tested the seaweed-based vaginal gel to see whether it offered protection against HIV, South African news agency Health-e said.

The gel, which can be inserted an hour before sex, was tested in a trial run by the Population Council, an international nonprofit organization.

All the women had to be HIV negative and were counseled to use the gel with condoms.