Currently the only 100 percent effective way to prevent the transmission of HIV is to abstain from behaviors that transmit the virus, such as having unprotected sex and sharing dirty needles. But for many women around the world, abstaining from sex is not a simple or available option. To adequately address the spread of HIV here and abroad, we must promote prevention strategies that not only include abstinence but also promote condom use and new medical technologies such as microbicides. Microbicides are a range of products that contain a substance that blocks the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases when applied topically. In some countries, cultures and relationships, women are unable to negotiate condom use with their husbands or partners. Microbicides would give sexually active women the ability to assure their own protection from HIV.