 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||
|
Netefatso Study: HSV-2/HIV Transmission The Netefatso Study (“Netefatso” means “to verify” in Setswana) is a Phase III, multi-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. It stresses the need for both partners in a stable sexual relationship “to test and verify their HIV status rather than assume that one partner’s status is indicative of the couple’s status”. The main objective of the Netefatso Study is to determine if suppression of HSV-2 reactivation in an individual infected with both HIV and HSV-2 with a drug called Acyclovir will reduce the risk of this person transmitting HIV to their sexual partner. HSV-2 (Herpes Simplex Virus type 2) is the virus which causes genital herpes (dintho). Additionally, the study will investigate other factors which may determine whether or not HIV transmission occurs after one is exposed. Sero-discordant couples (couples in which one of the partners is HIV-positive and the other partner is HIV negative) with the HIV positive partner also infected with HSV-2, will be invited to participate in this study. A total of 3646 such couples are planned to enrol in this study across a number of sites throughout the world. The study, which is anticipated to start in January 2005 in Botswana, will enroll a total of 120 sero-discordant couples and follow each couple for a period of one year. During follow up, each discordant couple will receive regular risk reduction counseling and the HIV negative partner will have serial HIV testing. According to the 2003 Tebelopele Voluntary Counseling and Testing Centre’s Annual Report, only about 8.6% of people who seek voluntary counselling and testing services in Botswana do so as a couple and 21.7% of these couples have a discordant HIV test result (one partner HIV positive and the other HIV negative). In line with increasing the uptake of couples’ HIV counselling and testing in Botswana, preparatory work was done gathering community views and perspectives on couples’ HIV Counseling and Testing in May of 2003 and analysis of the data will soon be complete. Also in April of 2004, Netefatso Study Nurse Counsellors attended a capacity building workshop on Couples’ HIV Counseling & Testing (CHCT) organised by the Centre for Disease Control (Atlanta) in Johannesburg and in July 2004, CDC (Atlanta) held their first Africa regional CHCT curriculum pre-test training workshop in Gaborone Bostwana. The Netefatso team is also currently involved in conducting a series of talks at various forums on the necessity for Couples HIV Counseling and Testing as opposed to individual testing under the theme “Your partner’s HIV status is not necessarily always yours”. The study is being funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through University of Washington Investigators. For any further information about this study, you may contact Patrick Ndase MD, Site Director/Co-Investigator for the study at pndase@bhp.org.bw, Tel (267) 3902671 Ext 2110. |