At Meeting on AIDS, Focus Shifts to Long Haul

"...microbicides — chemicals that are inserted into the vagina or rectum to prevent H.I.V. infection..."

In the New York Times today, Lawrence Altman summarizes the mood of AIDS 2008 in Mexico City. IRMA was especially thrilled that he used a clear and correct definition for microbicides, as seen above.

Excerpt:

"Though the meeting this month had its circuslike elements, the mood was much more sober. No major breakthroughs were announced, and cutting-edge research findings were rare. The great strides that many researchers thought they were on the verge of making in 2006 — in vaccines, microbicides and herpes-suppressive drugs to reduce H.I.V. transmission — have failed to materialize."

Read the whole article here.


And in case there were any doubts...
ADVOCACY WORKS

IRMA member Gary Hammond of the UK sent the following note to Altman recently, after an article he penned on PrEP. We are SURE this had an effect! Nice work Gary!!!

"Dear Lawrence,

I am curious as to why there was no mention in your PrEP article about the study in Thailand with IDU drug users, funded by the CDC.

Also do you not think that you were factually incorrect in your description of Microbicides in that you omitted to mention that research is also ongoing into people being able to use them rectally... is it really that unacceptable in the USA to mention ANAL SEX and INJECTION DRUG USE in a newspaper?

Shame as you missed out on reporting on the results of the rectal microbicide study in Macaques... probably the best news we have had in relation to microbicides in a long time...

I look forward to your timely reply!

Best wishes..."