Vaginal microbicides.

This article reviews the current status of microbicide development and challenges faced in developing safe and effective compounds. The ever growing HIV pandemic, lack of effective vaccines against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, concern about the vulnerability of women, and difficulty in condom negotiation are factors that drive the development of topical microbicides as a prophylactic method for women. The ideal microbicide needs to be safe and highly effective and not increase viral resistance or cause disruption of host defenses. Advances in the understanding of HIV transmission and the role of other sexually transmitted infections have allowed progress in development of microbicide candidates as clinical trials of potential agents are awaited.