Of the variety of
contraceptive options available for women, very few provide dual protection against
sexually transmitted diseases. Due to increased incidence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1),
genital herpes,
hepatitis B and human papilloma virus, development of novel
contraceptive strategies that incorporate
antiviral activity has become the top priority in
contraceptive research.
Topical microbicides are now considered to be the last ray of hope, as they would ideally provide protection against unwanted pregnancy, proper lubrication during sexual activity, and preclude the vaginal/rectal transmission of
sexually transmitted diseases. A large number of vaginal
microbicides are in the preclinical or clinical stages of evaluation for their safety, efficacy and acceptability. However, a major bottleneck in the development of novel mechanism-based dual
microbicides has been their
detergent-like effects, along with debilitating action on the vaginal microflora. Hence the search is still on for the ideal dual
microbicide/s that may obliterate these disadvantages and provide an invincible shield to women in their crusade against unintended pregnancy as well as
sexually transmitted diseases. The present review highlights the current scenario towards the development of novel
contraceptive strategies to counteract the rampant spread of
sexually transmitted diseases, with special reference to HIV/
AIDS.