Great news. If further tests do show it to be safe and effective I can only hope that there will be a way to make it affordable and accessible. If it is released as an expensive prescription, I just can't see it making a large dent in infection rates. It's a struggle to get people to acknowledge their risk enough to wear condoms, let alone get a prescription. I would imagine it would mostly be people who are already highly aware of their risk and taking precautions, such as women whose partners/spouses are positive (if it can be used in conjunction with condoms, of course). However, if organizations can step in and foot the bill this could be amazing for parts of sub-Saharan Africa where women may not have the ability to demand condoms, but could use a microbicide gel to decrease their risk. Regardless of how it will ultimately be distributed, any success in lowering infection can give research a push in the right direction.

Actually folks, Johnson & Johnson has already agreed to contribute the KY jelly, to which the microbicide would be added, free of charge. I know this because one of my professors at the University of Minnesota Med School was involved in researching the project. Know what the problem is, though? Research funding! It's slow going, and we really know so little about the histology of the vagina! I mean, after all, the NIH didn't even "discover" the vagina (in terms of medical research) until 1992. But I really hope this project keeps moving forward. KY jelly is pretty easy to distribute, and it's not contraception, which could make it more palatable to some organizations... Much as I hate to say that. But it's hard to say if women will use it consistently. If we can make it work, though, it could be a great thing.