STIs/HIV/Infectious Disease Overview
AIDS, the deadly syndrome caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is perhaps the highest-profile health problem of recent decades. Despite the emergence of antiretroviral drugs, the disease continues to ravage populations worldwide, disproportionately in sub-Saharan Africa. For both biological and cultural reasons, the disease hits hardest among women and the young: WHO estimates that 30% of the 40 million people living with HIV worldwide are between the ages of 15 and 24, and that, in sub-Saharan Africa, there are 13 women living with HIV for every 10 men.
In addition, although far less serious than HIV infection, vaginal infections are among the most frequent reproductive health complaints of women worldwide. Bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and trichomonas are responsible for a large number of clinic visits and a great deal of day-to-day distress among women. The vagina is also a major port of entry for pathogens, and the health of the vaginal environment contributes to women’s resistance to such pathogens. Thus, treatments or preventive measures that can improve vaginal health and reduce the frequency of minor infections may also lower the impact and risk of more serious and potentially life-threatening infections, including HIV.
Through our work in this area, we seek to improve our knowledge of the vaginal environment and its interaction with pathogens, and consequently, to identify avenues for improving women’s reproductive health. Among our approaches is to explore innovative uses of health technologies, such as new uses of established/approved drugs, to improve vaginal health and to decrease the risk and impact of various infections.