ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2010) — The virus that causes AIDS may undergo changes in the genital tract that make HIV-1 in semen different than what it is in the blood, according to a study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Worldwide much of the transmission of HIV-1 is through sexual contact, men being the transmitting partner in a majority of cases. The new findings are significant because the nature of the virus in the male genital tract is of central importance to understanding the transmission process and the selective pressures that may impact the transmitted virus. Ultimately it is the transmitted virus that must be blocked by a vaccine or microbicide.
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