Unprotected sex may be even more dangerous for women in relationships with HIV-positive men than previously thought, according to a study by Northwestern University researchers. They discovered that HIV in semen can readily penetrate healthy vaginal tissue; scientists had believed infection could occur only through breaks in the tissue or through the single-cell lining of the cervical canal. The findings reinforce the need for HIV-negative women'particularly those with an HIV-positive partner, researchers say'to consistently and correctly use condoms.
