By attending the Hartford event, interested members of the public and health care providers will learn about the Female Condom Use Pilot Study being conducted by The Institute for Community Research in Hartford and the CT AIDS Education & Training Center at the Yale School of Nursing in New Haven. An overview of the female condom, which has been marketed in the U.S. since 1993, will also be provided.

"With increasing numbers of women becoming infected with HIV and other STD's, it is important that women have access to several effective and acceptable methods of protection," said Corbett. "For a variety of social, economic, and personal reasons, the male latex condom is not a viable option for many women."

According to Corbett, the female condom has been shown to be acceptable to a wide range of people, however, it is often overlooked as an HIV prevention method and its use is generally low. "My talk will address some of the reasons we're finding female condom use to be low," noted Corbett. "But I will also discuss strategies that providers can use to increase female condom use."

This is the fourth lecture in the Spring 2003 series of forums organized by The Institute for Community Research and the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center. The Hartford HIV Forum meets from 12:00 noon to 1:30pm. on the second Tuesday of each month. The goal of the forums is to give the local community the most up-to-date information on current topics in AIDS prevention, treatment, research and care. To register for the forum, call the The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044. Signing for the hearing impaired and Spanish interpretation are available with a minimum of ten days advance notice. For more information about the series, contact Peg Weeks at The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044 x229.

In other related news, the Institute for Community Research and the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center will be presenting "Microbicides: The Power to Protect," a conference presenting the most up-to-date research on vaginal and rectal microbicides, as well as findings from Project Protect, the Hartford Microbicide Acceptability Study, and initiatives for advocacy. The conference will be held on May 22 from 8:30am-4:30pm at the Vernon Social Center at Trinity College, 144 Vernon Street in Hartford. The conference is free and open to the public; lunch will be provided and advance registration is required. To register, call 860-278-2044 or email microbicides@icrweb.org. For information about the conference, contact Barbara Valdes or Maryann Abbott at The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044.