Electrically spun dissolvable fabric could replace condoms – offer defense against pregnancy, HIV

Till date – male condoms, female condoms, cervical caps, diaphragms, and contraceptive sponges have remained ways to protect against HIV and unintended pregnancy. Of these condoms have been the most used.

University of Washington team has developed a versatile platform to offer contraception and prevent HIV. An Electrically spun cloth could release drugs, thus providing a platform for cheap, discrete and reversible protection.

“Our dream is to create a product women can use to protect themselves from HIV infection and unintended pregnancy,” said Kim Woodrow, a UW assistant professor of bioengineering. “We have the drugs to do that. It’s really about delivering them in a way that makes them more potent, and allows a woman to want to use it.”

Electrospinning catapults a charged fluid jet through air to create very fine, nanometer-scale fibers.  The researches have tried with two types of fibres. One of the fabrics dissolves within minutes, potentially offering users immediate, discrete protection. Another dissolves gradually over a few days, providing an option for sustained delivery, more like the birth-control pill.

This electrospun cloth could be inserted directly in the body or be used as a coating on vaginal rings or other products.

The team is focusing on places like Africa where HIV is most common, but the technology could be used in the U.S. or other countries to offer birth control while also preventing one or more sexually transmitted diseases.

Source: University of Washington