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Lime Juice Not a Viable Microbicide CandidateWomen in Nigeria have reported applying lime juice intravaginally to protect themselves against HIV infection. However, results from the first randomized controlled safety trial of intravaginal lime juice suggest that the juice damages the epithelial cells of the vagina when applied in concentrations of 50 percent or more. In the USAID-supported study, scientists from CONRAD, Eastern Virginia Medical Center, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard Medical School, and Family Health International collaborated to explore the possibility of using lime juice (a readily available resource in many settings) to prevent HIV. Forty-seven healthy U.S. women were randomly assigned to apply either water or lime juice at a concentration of 25 percent, 50 percent, or 100 percent in their vagina twice daily. For six days they used a tampon for application, and for six days they used douche (to emulate the methods of application that women have reported using in Nigeria). Tests showed that the vaginal epithelium was deeply disrupted in nine women who had used a 50-percent or 100-percent concentration of lime juice. The vaginal blood vessels were also disrupted in eight of these women. A previous study of the spermicide nonoxynol-9 found that this kind of damage is associated with an increased risk of HIV infection. Thus, high concentrations of lime juice could actually increase a woman's risk of becoming infected with HIV. This research underscores the importance of subjecting all compounds -- including those traditionally used by women -- to a high level of scientific scrutiny. Health care providers should discourage women from using lime juice as a method to protect themselves from HIV. Source |
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