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against STDs, they are not always used consistently and correctly and are a male-controlled method. The polyurethane female condom shows promise for STD protection as well as contraception, but its use still depends on male cooperation and acceptance. Because of women’s special biological susceptibility to sexually transmitted infection, their often disadvantaged position in gender relations and the limitations of available method options for disease prevention, the development of methods for preventing STDs that can be totally controlled by women is a high priority.7 Research is underway to develop safe and effective products, called microbicides, that women can use vaginally to prevent STD transmission.8 While it seems clear that current spermicidal contraceptives, which are all based on nonoxynol-9, reduce infection from some STDs, research is ongoing to understand their effects on HIV transmission.9 Other work focuses on reformulating nonoxynol-9 or combining it with new compounds and on alternate products that use completely new materials and approaches.10 However, the realities of clinical trials and of product development and approval mean that proven microbicides will probably enter the market no earlier than 2001.11 Jacqueline E. Darroch is senior vice president and vice president for research and Jennifer J. Frost is assistant director of research at The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), New York. The study on which this article is based was supported by grants from The Rockefeller Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Consortium for Industrial Collaboration in Contraceptive Research Program of the Contraceptive Research and Development Program. The authors would like to thank Larry Bye and Roxanne Metz of Survey Methods Group, Inc., for administration of survey fieldwork and Maria Elena Ramos of AGI for assistance in questionnaire development, administration of personal interviews, and data analysis and tabulations. The authors would also like to thank Karen Ringheim, Polly Harrision and Lori Heise for their reviews and comments during questionnaire development and drafting of this manuscript. The views expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the funders or reviewers. Women’s Interest in Vaginal Microbicides