Introduced last March and recently passed in the House of Representatives, the Microbicides Development Act of 2000 would increase funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the development of effective microbicides—products that can potentially save millions of lives. Specifically, the Act authorizes more money for federal microbicide research and development and instructs the NIH Director, in consultation with other relevant federal institutes and agencies, to develop a five-year implementation plan for the microbicides research program.

ACT NOW:

Contact your Senator: tell them to support the Microbicides Development Act of 2000. You can reach the Capital Switchboard at 1-800-648-3516. Demand funding for the development of woman-controlled prevention methods.

THE NEED FOR MICROBICIDES: THE FACTS

• In the developing world, up to 60% of all new HIV infections are among 15-24 year olds, with females outnumbering males two-to-one.

• Heterosexual transmission, within marriages, is driving the epidemic in many countries. Yet globally, only four percent of married women use condoms as their method of family planning.

• In the US, AIDS is the second leading cause of death among African American women between 25-44 and the third leading cause of death among Latinas in that age group.

• Research to develop microbicides received barely 1% of the National Institutes of Health AIDS research budget in 1998

BACKGROUND

Two decades into the AIDS epidemic, it is abundantly clear that traditional prevention campaigns which advocate for abstainance and condom use fail to reflect the complex social, economic and personal factors which effect women's sexual decision-making. Simply put: As long as condoms are the only option for stopping sexual transmission of HIV, AIDS is not a preventable disease. Microbicides are a crucial tool for empowering women and changing the landscape of new AIDS infections. A microbicide is the name given to any substance that can be used, vaginally or rectally, to prevent the transmission of HIV and/or other sexually-transmitted diseases. The battle to increase public awareness, industry interest, and government funding of microbicide research has gained critical momentum over the last year. It is absolutely critical to keep the pressure on decision-makers in government and industry.

RESOURCES

• Alliance for Microbicide Developement: A broad-based, international effort to increase access to HIV and STI prevention technologies other than male condoms.
  http://www.microbicide.org

  Send additional information for this page to info@healthgap.org.