In South Africa 1,000 scientists are meeting to study a product known as microbicide. This product will be much like a spermicide gel or cream which will kill HIV during intercourse. It would have a major impact on stopping the spread of the disease since it allows women to protect themselves without relying on their partner to wear a condom. In a perfect world women wouldn’t need to trick their partners into having safe sex, but one battle at a time I guess. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies have shown little interest in microbicides since those who would benefit most are poor people in Africa and India who hardly have any money to spend on their product. God bless capitalism. If that wasn’t bad enough I’ve already heard critics denouncing this life saving product because it “encourages people to have unsafe sex”. I wonder if they also think flu shots are a bad idea since they encourage people to cough in each others faces.

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Another factor which needs to be taken seriously to stop the spread of AIDS, in third world countries, is the screening of blood. Poor countries simply don’t have the equipment necessary to test blood properly; hence blood transfusions are responsible for about 10% of all HIV cases in Africa. Some countries, like Nigeria, attribute 14% of their HIV cases to contaminated blood transfusions.