He said that HIV prevention messages were struggling to get through in South Africa since people had reached “saturation point” on HIV.

McGowan said a survey of modern young women found they were not receptive to prevention messages and felt like they were not at risk of the virus – in a country where an estimated 10% of the adult population is HIV positive.

“They had the idea it won’t happen to me, they feel safe, the only sleep with nice people ... it is still his decision and to challenge him is to risk the relationship, they don’t talk about HIV and feel it is better not to know than to shatter a dream,” said McGowan.

He said it would be necessary to create a desire for microbicides – to turn them into a product that people cannot live without.

M2010 co-chairman Dr. Ian McGowan, from the University of Pittsburgh’s Medical School, said the conference – in the city of 446 bridges - had built bridges between different disciplines, between social researchers, scientists and communities.

McGowan reviewed other highlights from the conference, including the role of antiretroviral drugs in the development of new microbicides.

“We’re in the era of antiretrovirals, whether oral PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis tablets to stop HIV), topical PrEP (microbicide gels or rings to go into the vagina), their potency and questions on whether there is going to be drug resistance,” he said at the closing ceremony.

Another issue that dominated the agenda was the high prevalence of HIV among men having sex with men – including in Africa – and the neglect of these men by HIV prevention efforts.

“This meeting more than any other has been open and honest about sharing the needs of men who have sex with men, the frequency and urgent need to move ahead in developing rectal microbicides,” McGowan observed.