Cultural differences in acceptability of a vaginal microbicide: a comparison between potential users from Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and Kafue and Mumbwa, Zambia

PURPOSE: We sought to determine the relationship between acceptability of a hypothetical vaginal microbicide, cultural factors, and perceived HIV risk among African-American women in Nashville, TN, USA, and African women in Kafue and Mumbwa, Zambia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women in both sites completed a survey. Regression analyses were performed on valid samples (Nashville, 164; Zambia, 101) to determine cultural differences affecting microbicide acceptability. Regression analyses also tested whether individual risk perception affected acceptability. RESULTS: In Zambia, 89.6% of women were willing to use a microbicide versus 81.6% in Nashville (P < 0.0001). One cultural difference is that women in the Zambian cohort viewed risk of HIV infection as distinct from risk of acquiring STIs, with 48% believing they were certain to become infected with AIDS, compared to 4% of Nashville participants. CONCLUSION: These results suggest a high degree of acceptability toward use of a vaginal microbicide to prevent HIV infection.