NIAID established the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN) in 2006
to develop and evaluate products that women can use daily or
prior to sexual intercourse to prevent infection with HIV and
other sexually transmitted agents. Read how MTN conducts its
multi-center studies at sites around the world. View Larger Map
South Africa, located on the southern tip of the mainland,
borders both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its climate varies
from arid in the northwest to tropical in the east along its
border with Mozambique. Despite being one of the most
economically advanced African nations, South Africa faces many
major health challenges. For example, the World Health
Organization (WHO) estimates that the country has the worst
prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in the world. In addition,
UNAIDS estimates that approximately 5.4 million South Africans
are HIV-positive, and recent reports have suggested that the
prevalence is climbing. Drug-resistant malaria is also a growing
health concern in the country, while schistosomia