Good discussion leads to good science!

Hi Everyone!

I just wanted to send a thank you to all those who listened in and discussed the issues on today’s IRMA global teleconference - "Women and Anal Sex: Yet Another Reason for Rectal Microbicide Advocacy."

I had a GREAT time and I hope you did too! Like we said on the call, we need more science, more advocacy, and less silence about women who have anal sex. We need scientists to ask about anal sex frequency, to contextualize it and find out what factors impact whether (when and with whom) it’s protected or not with condoms or lube or anything else (when we get there!) – and we need to publish the data!

We need the data to help us normalize what apparently at least 1/3 of women are doing at some point in their lives – and that’s just the ones with enough gumption to say so!

Like we used to say early in the epidemic
Silence=Death
and not talking about anal sex
is killing men AND women.

We need to understand how formulation affects acceptability and use, and we should be doing this research now. We need more advocates like you!! For ALL you do! Thanks again for being there and talking about it!

Good discussion leads to good science!

It is not enough to be compassionate.
You must act.
- Tenzin Gyatso; 14th Dali Lama

- Kate Morrow, Ph.D.
Associate Professor (Rsch)
Centers for Behavioral & Preventive Medicine
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
The Miriam Hospital