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CANBERRA: The topical estrogen could help prevent HIV infection by
blocking entry of the virus into the human penis, Australian medical
researchers learned Wednesday.
A study by Department of Zoology of the
University of Melbourne has found that applying estrogen to the
penis increases the thickness of the natural keratin layer in the
skin.
The study, published in PLoS ONE journal
Wednesday, showed that keratin on skin acts as a barrier to viral
infection, so increasing the keratin layer could prevent HIV from
infecting the male.
HIV affects over 40 million people worldwide and
is on the rise particularly in countries where males are not
circumcised.
Lead researcher Professor Roger Short of the
Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences said that using
naturally occurring, weak estrogen could enhance keratin protection.
“We have found a new avenue to possibly
prevent HIV infection of the penis,” the Australian Associated
Press quoted him as saying.
“In countries where circumcision is not
religiously or culturally accepted, estrogen treatments to the penis
could be very effective in reducing the spread of the disease,” he
added.
-- Xinhua
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