AIDS prevention: condom off, no protection possible?

There must be other tools available to women who do not have the ability to impose the use of condoms, argues the French Movement for Family Planning (MFPF) in a statement on World Day against AIDS.
Condom or not? ... Much doubt
"We prefer a method that does not work 100% no way," said Maite Albagly, secretary general of the French Movement for Family Planning, interviewed by Reuters Health.

The female condom is "overpriced" pharmacy laments its general secretary, who pleads for his promotion and more systematic information on other barrier methods, such as the cervical cap and the diaphragm (metal ring supporting a latex membrane that is coated with spermicide).

These devices do not provide as effective as condoms protection. Reusable, they remove and wash with soap and water and are "normally used for preventing pregnancy." They are not enough to protect themselves from HIV, but as they are placed in the vagina, particularly permeable zone to HIV infection, they reduce the risk of infection, but not make it disappear, said Maite Albagly .

Compared condom (male or female), the efficacy of other barrier methods is lower, but their effectiveness is "interesting" when one considers the sociological context, psychological, familial, cultural and economic conditions that may prevent the use condom says movement.

"The condom is great when you can buy it, negotiate and place," said its general secretary.

Family planning also calls for support of research on microbicides, a product that "exists in laboratories" but "they must be under to make it," said Maite Albagly that evokes a protection of 60% after the first studies on the subject.

The microbicide research aims to develop substances, introduced into the vagina or rectum, significantly reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. These may take the form of gels, creams, suppositories, films, lubricants or sponge or vaginal ring that slowly secrete active ingredients.

Women should have all the information and it must give them the possibility to choose between different tools, even imperfect, because they do not always have the opportunity to use condoms, said the move.

Other associations react "more or less" in this speech, acknowledged Maite Albagly.

"The prevention of all or nothing, we do not believe it," she insisted, however, citing the "failure" of national campaigns, which continue to present the condom as "unique tool for prevention."

In recognition of the epidemic in women
"The epidemic in women continues to be ignored," laments the movement. Yet "the numbers are stubborn," said his secretary and they prove that "the epidemic is feminized." A message that still ends up being a way. "At the Directorate General of Health (DGS) means to us and we are seeking," rejoices Maite Albagly, referring in particular to the success of the group approach to the word "sexual risk reduction" that offers MFPF seven years throughout the metropolis, the DOM, but also in Cameroon, Madagascar and Senegal.

The Association Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), which has developed programs for reducing HIV infection in 68 emerging countries, appealed to governments and NGOs to provide 180 million female condoms to Africa in 2006, hoping to see the price divided by three, from 2.3 euros to 0.76 euros.

In a statement, the Collective "AIDS 2005 great national cause" also cites "greater attention to the specificities of HIV-positive women" among its claims, noting that "women still represent less than a quarter of those included in Research on HIV / AIDS. "