National HIV Prevention Conference Atlanta, Georgia, USA — July 27 - 30, 2003

Natl HIV Prev Conf 2003 July 27-30:abstract no. M1-A0103
Morrow KM
Brown Medical School/Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI

Globally, women at risk for HIV infection face the greatest burden of disease and the least control over their risk factors. Gender dynamics, sexual norms, fertility pressures, and poverty make protecting oneself from HIV transmission an overwhelming burden. Vaginal microbicides can help women gain some control over their HIV risk.

Experimental vaginal microbicides are currently being tested in Phase I and II clinical trials, with a few now ready for Phase III efficacy trials. Whether or not these products will ultimately be effective, however, depends upon, not only their efficacy, but their accessibility and acceptability to those women at risk for infection. Microbicide acceptability is being studied as most experimental products proceed through human trials. As a function of Phase I and II trials completed thus far, much of the basic understanding of the factors that influence acceptability has been identified but needs further study. HOW we study microbicide acceptability from this point forward needs further clarification and discussion. Which aspects of acceptability can we study when? How best might we accomplish this task?

This presentation will educate the audience about microbicides in general, their mechanisms of action, and their important role in the fight against the global AIDS epidemic. It will then propose a strategy for the continued study of microbicide acceptability with the context of human clinical trials.

030727
M1-A0103

Copyright notice: The National HIV Prevention Conference is collaborative effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a U.S. Government agency and other governmental and non-government organizations. All abstracts published in by the conference organizers are in the public domain and can be used without permission. Proper citation, however, is required.