Africa: Two barriers no better than one against HIV - Study

Using a condom in conjunction with a diaphragm — a latex contraceptive cap that fits tightly over a woman's cervix — to protect against HIV infection in women is no more effective than relying on a condom alone. The findings are reported in an article published in The Lancet (13 July) by Nancy Padian, from the University of California in San Francisco, and her colleagues. The team, from Methods for Improving Reproductive Health in Africa (MIRA), did a randomised trial of almost 5,000 sexually active, HIV-negative women in South Africa and Zimbabwe.