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News & ArtsThursday, August 13, 2009
Science HIV-Blocking Gel?
Posted by Gillian Anderson on Thu, Aug 13, 2009 at 1:29 PM
ScienceDaily (Aug. 10, 2009) — University of Utah scientists developed a new kind of "molecular condom" to protect women from AIDS in Africa and other impoverished areas. Before sex, women would insert a vaginal gel that turns semisolid in the presence of semen, trapping AIDS virus particles in a microscopic mesh so they can't infect vaginal cells.
Apparently they are working on this to help women protect themselves from getting infected with HIV when they don't have the cooperation of a partner. In sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV is rampant, the article says that "women often are not empowered to force their partners to wear a condom."
It looks like the gel won't be ready for several more years. They are hoping to incorporate an antiviral drug into the gel so it both blocks HIV movement and prevents the virus from replicating. Far out.
The article doesn’t say if guys can use it, too.
1
This will work great for a day or two, until the rumor starts that this gel is part of a secret plot that will render males impotent, thus causing them to not allow women to use it. What's with Africa and stupid AIDS superstitions?
4
maybe gays in america could smear it all over themselves
cause they account for 53% of all new aids cases in this country
cause they account for 53% of all new aids cases in this country
7
I love the way Gillian Anderson ever so diplomatically states "women often are not empowered to force their partners to wear a condom."
you mean, women in Sub Saharan Africa are getting raped by their partners, (and it's accepted as normal). Hey, I'm all for the gel. Better to be repeatedly raped and not get AIDS than to get repeatedly raped and get AIDS. but lets call it what it is.
you mean, women in Sub Saharan Africa are getting raped by their partners, (and it's accepted as normal). Hey, I'm all for the gel. Better to be repeatedly raped and not get AIDS than to get repeatedly raped and get AIDS. but lets call it what it is.
8
@5 "It" doesn't need to be removed. The cum will just hang out and drizzle out in time like semen naturally does after boning. This time though, a microscopic gel will surround the semen so it cannot penetrate the lining of vagina.
10
@8
I'm not a woman and not an expert on leftover jizz naturally "drizzling out" after intercourse, but say if a woman using this semi-solid gel had been raped and that had caused tearing (i.e. scratches, open wounds) at the outer part of the vagina, wouldn't the gel be useless??
(In theory, any leftover "drizzling" out HIV-carrying semen would drizzle out and make contact with blood from a vaginal tear)
...Just asking...
I'm not a woman and not an expert on leftover jizz naturally "drizzling out" after intercourse, but say if a woman using this semi-solid gel had been raped and that had caused tearing (i.e. scratches, open wounds) at the outer part of the vagina, wouldn't the gel be useless??
(In theory, any leftover "drizzling" out HIV-carrying semen would drizzle out and make contact with blood from a vaginal tear)
...Just asking...
11
"until the rumor starts that this gel is part of a secret plot that will render males impotent"
If the men are either raping the women or are refusing to wear condoms, they should probably just go ahead and make it disintegrate their dick.
If the men are either raping the women or are refusing to wear condoms, they should probably just go ahead and make it disintegrate their dick.
12
@ 10 I have no clue how these things really work, I am just aping what I read in the article. Personally, I wouldn't trust anything other than condoms, common sense, and caution, and even that doesn't promise anything.
As to your concerns, considering how many rapes occur ion Africa I definitely think you got a good question there. I suppose we will be finding out more as time passes and studies are released.
As to your concerns, considering how many rapes occur ion Africa I definitely think you got a good question there. I suppose we will be finding out more as time passes and studies are released.
13
Why can't they make a gel that when it come in contact with seminal fluid, causes a chemical reaction that somehow causes the man to become permanently unable to form an erection?
The women of Africa could apply it daily, not tell men they have applied it, and then the men would have to worry that they might lose their ability to have sex.
Either that, or utilizing the same idea, have the gel combine with semen and release a chemical that renders the man completely impotent. The fear of becoming impotent by raping the wrong woman would scare many men into not having random sex.
The women of Africa could apply it daily, not tell men they have applied it, and then the men would have to worry that they might lose their ability to have sex.
Either that, or utilizing the same idea, have the gel combine with semen and release a chemical that renders the man completely impotent. The fear of becoming impotent by raping the wrong woman would scare many men into not having random sex.
16
One wonders about the pricing, considering entire families get by on less than $500 for an entire year, and it's unlikely they won't have sex when the lights go out.
19
@18 Only if you don't realize that U of Utah is one of the most respected medical research schools in the country and that Salt Lake is a Babylon in the middle of the religious holy land.
22
@7
Um, not all African men are going around raping everybody. Have you, uh, been to Africa??? Or are you just reading skewed, one-dimensional media sources?? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Women are disempowered there, yes, but they're not all getting raped. Sex is just a sort of duty for woman to perform with their husbands. It's just what you do with your husband: you do it and don't ask questions, just like he provides for the family and no one asks questions about that either. That ain't rape.
Um, not all African men are going around raping everybody. Have you, uh, been to Africa??? Or are you just reading skewed, one-dimensional media sources?? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Women are disempowered there, yes, but they're not all getting raped. Sex is just a sort of duty for woman to perform with their husbands. It's just what you do with your husband: you do it and don't ask questions, just like he provides for the family and no one asks questions about that either. That ain't rape.
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