Women who cannot convince their partners to wear condoms are helpless victims of the spreading AIDS pandemic. In the United States, AIDS is the number one cause of death among African-American women aged 25-34. But breakthroughs in microbicide development offer women the chance to protect themselves against the virus.
 
Scientists around the world believe that microbicide gels and creams hold incredible promise. This class of products can help dramatically reduce the rate of HIV transmission, but more research is needed.
 
Unfortunately, less than 3% of the U.S. budget for HIV/AIDS research is currently spent on microbicide development.
 
Urge Congress to increase funding. Ask your Representatives and Senators to support the Microbicide Development Act (HR 1420/S 823). This legislation is necessary to improve coordination between federal agencies and to provide more funding for the effort.
 
The United States has a moral responsibility to harness its incredible resources and medical expertise in the fight against HIV/AIDS.