Microbicides are being designed and tested which may (in the future) provide an HIV positive woman with some important benefits, including:
1. Lowering her risk of infection with other strains of HIV and, potentially, other STIs.
2. Enabling her to help protect her male partner(s) during sex if he is not using a condom; and
3. Helping her to protect an HIV negative partner(s) while leaving herself open to pregnancy, if she wishes to have children
