Women's interest in vaginal microbiocides

Context: Each year, an estimated 15 million new cases of sexually transmitt ed diseases (STDs), including HIV, occur in the United States. Women are no t only at a disadvantage because of their biological and social susceptibil ity, but also because of the methods that are available for prevention. Methods: A nationally representative sample of 1,000 women aged 18-44 in th e continental United States who had had sex with a man in the last 12 month s were interviewed by telephone. Analyses identified levels and predictors of women's worry about STDs and interest in vaginal microbicides, as well a s their preferences regarding method characteristics. Numbers of potential U.S. microbicide users were estimated. Results: An estimated 21.3 million U. S. women have some potential current interest in using a microbicidal product. Depending upon product specificat ions and cost, as many as 6.0 million women who are worried about getting a n STD would be very interested in current use of a microbicide. These women are most likely to be unmarried and not cohabiting, of low income and less education. and black or Hispanic. They also are more likely to have visite d a doctor for STD symptoms or to have reduced their sexual activity becaus e of STDs, to have a partner who had had other partners in the past year, t o have no steady partner or to have ever used condoms for STD prevention. Conclusions: A significant minority of women in the United States are worri ed about STDs and think they would use vaginal microbicides. The developmen t, testing and marketing of such products should be expedited.