The study, conducted in South Africa and Zimbabwe, was meant to test a theory that held that the cervix, which is covered by the diaphragm, was most vulnerable to HIV infection.
The study involved 5,000 women aged 18-49. One group was given diaphragms, a lubricant gel and condoms, while another group was given only condoms. At the end of the study, 158 women using diaphragms were infected with HIV, while 151 women who used only condoms were infected. Women given diaphragms used condoms only 54 percent of the time, while the other group used them 85 percent of the time.
However at the end of the $37 million study, researchers found that they were not as effective in stopping infection as condoms.
The news is a setback to those seeking a way to halt HIV infection that can be used by women. Women in Africa often have little say over their reproductive rights, a factor which has been blamed for the HIV/AIDS pandemic on that continent.
