BBC News examines HIV microbicide research

BBC News examines ongoing efforts to develop a female-controlled microbicide to prevent HIV infection. But so far, "efforts ... have presented a great deal of frustration in the fight against this global epidemic," the news service writes, detailing the history of some failed experiments. "According to the Microbicide Trials Network, there are currently nine different microbicide products in clinical trials," BBC notes. Angela Obasi of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine said, "In many parts of the world -- especially in the parts of the world where HIV is most prevalent -- there are gender status issues that make it very tricky for a woman to control the circumstances under which she is exposed to HIV. ... So methods that are controlled by women give them a critically important power over the safety of their own bodies," according to the news service (Gill, 12/8).