Deborah Anderson wants a contraception revolution. In an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Anderson lays out the reasons why she believes it's time to reignite research for developing new forms of birth control-and why we need better contraceptive options now more than ever before.
Anderson, BU School of Medicine professor of obstetrics and gynecology, is an expert in plant-grown antibodies that protect against HIV and herpes simplex virus. Now, her lab at BU is using those antibodies, which Anderson calls "plantibodies," to develop a topical film-similar to a Listerine strip-that can be applied vaginally as a contraceptive. Her lab's efforts to innovate new contraceptives are supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The Brink spoke to Anderson to learn more about her vision for future birth control methods and why she believes the world is overdue for a contraception revolution. Here are our top four takeaways from that conversation.
