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SPOTLIGHT:

What are Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (MPTs)?

Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs), also referred to as “combinations” or “dual” technologies are designed to address multiple sexual and reproductive health needs, including prevention of unplanned pregnancy; prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV; and/or prevention of other reproductive tract infections (RTIs), such as bacterial vaginosis or urinary tract infections. MPTs that are acceptable, affordable, and widely available would greatly improve health and save resources.

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About CAMI

Mission

Using a multi-disciplinary approach, CAMI promotes the development of and access to innovative prevention strategies that enhance reproductive health.

History

Founded in 2001, CAMI was initially a California-based coalition that worked to promote dialogue and collaboration between developers, researchers and health care providers working in the area of HIV & STI prevention, family planning  and microbicides.  In 2009 CAMI underwent a strategic planning process and revised the mission to focus its efforts on the addressing the intrinsic link between unintended pregnancies and risk for STIs (including HIV) globally.

The Need

Women and their families still suffer avoidable, dire consequences associated with unintended pregnancies and exposure to sexually transmitted infections (including HIV).

  • Each day, approximately 100 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, while in many Sub-Saharan African countries, over 60% of adults living with HIV are women.  Some cities in the US, including the District of Columbia, have HIV incidence rates as high as in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Young women are some of the hardest hit by unintended pregnancies and exposure to disease around the global.  Among young people ages 15-24, three young women are infected for each young man.
  • Many counties at the core of the HIV/AIDS epidemic also have extremely high rates of unintended pregnancy and other STIs.

A woman at risk for unintended pregnancy due to unprotected intercourse is also at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted infection.  Because of the intrinsic link between unintended pregnancy and STIs, combining protection against these conditions will have life-saving results for women and their families.

There is an urgent need to improve existing reproductive health prevention strategies and to develop new products that will simultaneously prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

The Challenge

Despite the obvious biological, behavioral, and physiological linkages between the risk for unintended pregnancy and infections, researchers working to prevent pregnancy, HIV, and other STIs often operate in silos within their respective fields.

A primary objective of CAMI and the MPT Initiative is to bridge those silos and facilitate interdisciplinary research to advance a holistic approach towards reproductive health.

CAMI provides a platform for product developers, researchers, advocates and educators working in the reproductive health field to coordinate their efforts.  This intersection is purring new ways of thinking and innovations that could speed up delivery of prevention supplies and programs to the people who need them most.

About PHI

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, access the nation, and around the world.  The mission of the Public Health Institute is to generate and promote research, leadership, and partnerships to build capacity for strong public health policy, programs, systems, and practices.  Spanning a broad range of interest areas within public health and conducting a variety of types of work, our programs and project add to the growing body of knowledge critical to our mission.  The Coalition Advancing Multipurpose Innovations (CAMI) is a program of PHI.