Vaginal microbicides needed for female-controlled prevention
Contraceptive technology update 20(3): 25-27
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0274-726X PMID: 12321962 Document Number: 280106
More and more women are becoming infected with HIV. While the use of male condoms greatly reduces the transmission of HIV, the condoms must be used correctly and consistently in order to confer protection against contracting an infection, and their use is not controlled by women. Female condoms are a barrier method which women can use, but there use may be objectionable to some men, who can see the condoms' outer ring. However, women can easily control the use of vaginal microbicides. Several such products are being researched. Some use nonoxynol-9 or other surfactants, while others include acid buffering gels; natural products such as lactobacillus crispatus, antimicrobial peptides, magainins, or plant extracts; inhibitors of viral entry; post-binding fusion inhibitors; and reverse transcriptase inhibitors. While in vitro tests have found that spermicides containing nonoxynol-9 (N-9) kill organisms which cause gonorrhea, genital herpes, trichomoniasis, syphilis, and AIDS, the disruptive effect of N-9 upon the vaginal epithelium raises questions upon the merit of their use and their overall effectiveness in preventing disease transmission. The ideal microbicide should be effective against HIV/STDs, nonirritating, long-acting, inexpensive, readily available, and easy to use. It should be available in spermicidal and nonspermicidal formulations.