RESEARCHERS IN SOUTH AFRICA have developed an easy-to-use vaginal gel which they believe cuts HIV  infection rates by 50%.

The gel contains tenofovir, a drug used in treating Aids. Results from the study, which was carried out on a group of 889 women, indicates that after one year of use infection is cut by50% and after two and half years, by 39%.

HIV and Aids is now the leading cause of death in women of a reproductive age, according to a report released last year by the UN.

70% of women worldwide have been forced to have unprotected sex, according to UNAids. Women are also physically more vulnerable to contracting HIV through sex.

If the preliminary findings are verified, it would be first microbicidal gel to fight the virus.

The gel would reportedly cost “just pennies” and would be targeted at places such sub-Saharan Africa, where 60% of those who had contacted HIV are women.

The results of the study come after three years of research by the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa. The gel was shown to be effective when used by women between 18 and 40 year of age who applied it once in the 12 hours before sex and once in the 12 hours after sex .

After 30 months, 98 women became infected with HIV, of the group who contracted HIV, 38 had used the gel and 60 used placebos.

Mr Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAids, said that the results are “giving hope to women.”