Md. AIDS cases among women in the United States increased threefold between 1985 and 1996, making AIDS now the fourth-leading cause of death among American women age 25 to 44, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Nearly 60 such products are in the research pipeline, although getting adequate funding to complete the tests continues to be a challenge, she says. Md. In Africa, where AIDS cases are skyrocketing, women are considered among the most vulnerable. And sometimes, the reaction to that is violent. But negotiating condom use also can be difficult for U.S. women.
Some people claim using condoms during sex decreases sensation.
They're also seen as an impediment to intimacy, Gottemoeller says. Studies on condom use in the United States have found that condoms are used consistently by no more than 20 percent of couples, she says. In some cases, they could be used without the man's knowledge. PRO 2000, which has been shown to reduce the rate of infection by an AIDS-causing virus in monkeys when applied vaginally and which also has protected mice from genital herpes. PC151, which uses carrageenan, a derivative of red seaweed that's used as a thickener in products such as salad dressing and cat food, to keep HIV from entering the host cell.