Scientists Determine How HIV Infects Vagina

U.S. scientists say they've identified the primary targets of HIV-1 infection in the human vagina, a discovery that could lead to new ways to prevent viral transmission.HIV-1 is the virus that causes most cases of AIDS around the world. Another form of the virus, HIV-2, is less easily transmitted."The majority of HIV-1 infected individuals worldwide are women who acquire HIV infection following sexual contact. Blocking HIV transmission and local spread in the female lower genital tract is key to prevent infection and ultimately to ease the pandemic," wrote study authors Dr. Florian Hladik and Dr. M. Juliana McElrath, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle