Optimizing HIV prevention for women
Review of evidence from microbicide studies and considerations for gender-sensitive microbicide introduction
Abstract
Microbicides were conceptualized as a product that could give women increased agency over HIV prevention. However, gender-related norms and inequalities that place women and girls at risk of acquiring HIV are also likely to affect their ability to use microbicides. Understanding how gendered norms and inequalities may pose obstacles to women’s microbicide use is important to inform product design, microbicide trial implementation and eventually microbicide and other antiretroviral-based prevention programmes. The authors reviewed published vaginal microbicide studies to identify gender-related factors that are likely to affect microbicide acceptability, access and adherence.
They make recommendations on product design, trial implementation, positioning, marketing and delivery of microbicides in a way that takes into account the gender-related norms and inequalities identified in the review.
This research is funded under the Department for International Development’s STRIVE Programme which is led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
Citation
Elizabeth G Doggett, Michele Lanham, Rose Wilcher, Mitzy Gafos, Quarraisha A Karim, Lori Heise. Optimizing HIV prevention for women: a review of evidence from microbicide studies and considerations for gender-sensitive microbicide introduction. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2015; 18(1) doi: 10.7448/IAS.18.1.20536