I Heart Microbicides!

Oh, I like them so much. And I also like the fact that there are some people in the US senate fighting to get more funding for them on this International Women’s Day. What are they and why do I love them? Because they’ll allow women — especially in parts of the world where insisting their male partners wear condoms and stay faithful isn’t an option (a sad reality) — to protect themselves from HIV infection.
Not yet available for public use, microbicides are topical creams (gels, films, etc.) applied to the vagina that prevent the spread of HIV infection. They won’t replace condoms, and won’t be foolproof, but they’ll cut the rate of infection by millions if they make it to market.
They’re working on some microbicides that will be contraceptives and others that won’t — good news for any woman who has to make the decision to either have kids or be exposed to a deadly disease. So, the more money that goes towards research, the better.
More information can be found at www.global-campaign.org.