ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, February 14, 1996           TAG: 9602150011
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL   PAGE: A-6  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: BETHESDA, MD.

BACTERIA MAY OFFER HIV DEFENSE

A cousin of the healthy bacteria found in yogurt helps women fight off vaginal infections naturally - and now doctors are trying to harness these microbes to protect against the AIDS virus.

They are trying to create a gel or cream that a woman could insert into her vagina before sexual intercourse to kill the HIV virus in case her partner had it. AIDS researchers said Tuesday that the need for these ``vaginal microbicides'' is huge because AIDS is skyrocketing among heterosexual women worldwide.

``We are really trying to get the word out on microbicides,'' said Sharon Hillier of the University of Pittsburgh, who in about a month will begin testing a candidate made with the bacteria on 900 teen-agers.

- Associated Press

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