Just an fyi on N-9 in the link below....

On an unrelated note, I was most impressed that Bush is calling for a doubling of spending on abstinence programs. I wonder if providers are already seeing a decline in interest -- hope it doesn't undercut the hobby

Fortunately, most Providers I know don't use the condoms with Spermicide as it feels like a blow-torch inside our vaginas - burns too much and causes infection!

I never used N-9 because it tasted bad...YUCKY!  Who'd a thunk that it could actually INCREASE your chances of HIV transmission.  WOW!

Nonoxynol-9 is an example of a virucide that works great in the test tube, but then fails in clinical studies.

HIV is a virus with a surface (i.e., envelope) that contains both lipids and proteins. In the test tube, nonoxynol-9 acts like a detergent to solubilize the viral lipids and protein, rendering the virus inactive. This was known fairly early on in the AIDS epidemic, from the mid-1980's.

Because of the difficulties in conducting clinical studies, however, it is only now that we're sure that nonoxynol-9 actually promotes HIV infection, probably by stimulating and/or irritating target cells in the mucosa (i.e., macrophages and helper lymphocyte cells).

It's also possible that the higher HIV transmission rates found in Africa through heterosexual sex are partly due to secondary STD infections (e.g., gonorrhea, syphylis) that similarly irritate these mucosal membranes.

-- Modified on 1/21/2004 2:13:53 PM

-- Modified on 1/22/2004 6:05:39 AM