What research and advances have investigators made concerning HIV/AIDS and women?

Very few women with HIV were included in early studies of the epidemic, but in 1994, women accounted for 18% of adult participants in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Studies are focusing on clinical signs of HIV infection in women and on the relationships between pregnancy and HIV. Researchers are investigating "female-controlled" methods of protection by developing creams or gels that women would apply before intercourse to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. There is no conclusive evidence on the effectiveness of contraceptive films as a HIV-transmission prevention tool.