"South African medical ethicist Solomon Benatar observed that acquiring new scientific knowledge is often valued more than applying existing knowledge. Thus he urges that we explore existing options as part of our HIV prevention strategy. The diaphragm, here and ready now, is precisely such an option. Diaphragms are already approved for use as a contraceptive and purchasable in most countries. A positive outcome from this study could rapidly put an urgently needed female-controlled HIV prevention technology into the hands of women throughout the world who are at risk for HIV," said Padian.

"In the past 5-10 years UCSF has become an important player in global health. Dr. Padian has been on the forefront in this endeavor and her program on HIV-AIDS prevention in Zimbabwe is a primary example," said Haile T. Debas, MD, dean of the UCSF School of Medicine and Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs.

WGHI is a global research program based at UCSF's AIDS Research Institute and UCSF's department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences. Scientists at WGHI conduct research and training related to HIV/AIDS, gender and reproductive health. This research is used to design and rapidly implement practical and effective prevention and treatment strategies for women at risk for or living with HIV. ARI houses hundreds of scientists and dozens of programs throughout UCSF and affiliated labs and institutions, making ARI one of the largest AIDS research entities in the world.

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Contact: Jeff Sheehy
jsheehy@psg.ucsf.edu
415-597-8165
University of California - San Francisco
28-Aug-2002