A vaginal microbicide is a microbicide

Microbicide

Microbicides for sexually transmitted diseases, are pharmacologic agents and chemical substances that are capable of killing or destroying certain microorganisms that commonly cause human infection, for example the human immunodeficiency virus....

 for vaginal

Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...

 use. Most commonly such a product would be a topical gel or cream inserted into the vagina so that it may treat some infection in the vagina, such as types of vaginitis

Vaginitis

Vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina. It can result in discharge, itching and pain, and is often associated with an irritation or infection of the vulva. It is usually due to infection. The three main kinds of vaginitis are bacterial vaginosis , vaginal candidiasis, and trichomoniasis. A...

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Along with rectal microbicides

Rectal microbicide

A rectal microbicide is a microbicide for rectal use. Most commonly such a product would be a topical gel inserted into the anus so that it make act as protection against the contract of a sexually transmitted infection during anal sex....

, vaginal microbicides are currently the subject of medical research on microbicides for sexually transmitted diseases to determine the circumstances under which and the extent to which they provide protection against infection. Researchers are trying to develop a product which would act as protection against the contraction of a sexually transmitted infection during vaginal sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

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Vaginal microbicides for sexually transmitted diseases

Scientists are trying to develop effective microbicides to reduce the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, and in particular, to reduce the risk of contracting HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

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Target market

Researchers have investigated who has interest in using a vaginal microbicide. Condoms are highly effective in preventing the transmission of infection, but worldwide, the decision to use condoms is more often a decision made by males than females. A vaginal microbicide which could prevent sexual tranmission of infection would further empower women to influence the result of their sexual encounters. The demographic interested in using the produce included women with the following characteristics:

• use condoms to prevent infection
• have previously had a sexually transmitted infection
• have a sexual partner who had another sexual partner in the past year
• minority group
• low income
• unmarried and not cohabiting
• no steady sexual partner

The number of women interested in using such a product has been characterized as being significant enough to merit product development and marketing.

Characteristics

The ideal vaginal microbicide would have the following characteristics:

• provide protection against infection
• not require application at the time of intercourse
• not harm the natural tissue

The criteria of not harming natural tissue has been the most troublesome aspect of product design.

For HIV

Several unrelated chemical mechanisms have been proposed for vaginal microbicides. In all cases, the medicine would be contained in a gel or cream substrate and then inserted into the vagina, where the medicine would activate.

Surfactants

The first vaginal microbicide which researchers studied was nonoxynol-9

Nonoxynol-9

Nonoxynol-9, sometimes abbreviated as N-9, is an organic compound that is used as a surfactant. It is a member of the nonoxynol family of nonionic surfactants. N-9 and related compounds are ingredients in various cleaning and cosmetic products. It is widely used in contraceptives for its...

, which acted as a surfactant

Surfactant

Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid...

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Blocking HIV binding

PRO 2000

PRO 2000

PRO 2000 is the name of an experimental vaginal microbicide which has been proposed as a preventative medicine for reducing the risk of contracting HIV. It has never been recommended as an effective medicine to be used for any purpose...

, carageenan, and cellulose sulphate have all been studied as microbicides to block HIV binding.

Topical antiretrovirals

Tenofovir has been studied as a topical antiretroviral. One example of a tenofovir study is CAPRISA 004

CAPRISA 004

CAPRISA 004 is the name of a clinical trial conducted by CAPRISA. This particular study was the first to show that a topical gel could reduce a person's risk of contracting HIV. The gel used in the study contained a microbicide.-Background:...

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