What are we waiting for? Challenges of developing male birth control and MPTs

Male Contraceptive Initiative (MCI) and the Initiative for Multipurpose Prevention Technologies (IMPT) share similar missions and challenges—as well as some product overlap. Both organizations understand the importance of innovative, impactful products for men, women, their families, and the world. Male contraceptive products and multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) have been declared to be “coming soon” for […]

World Contraception Day: Celebrating progress and maintaining momentum

September 26 is World Contraception Day, and there is no better time to celebrate the importance of family planning in the lives of people around the world. In recent decades, there have been significant advancements in access and technology that have expanded individuals’ ability to make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health. It […]

An ArcGIS Mapping Tool to Identify MPT Target Populations

In sub-Saharan Africa, adolescent girls and young women are at the highest risk of acquiring HIV. However, as this is a heterogeneous population, the characteristics of these women can vary greatly. A one-size-fits-all approach simply will not work. In order for MPTs to have the greatest impact, approaches must be tailored to the populations where […]

MEET THE SECRETARIAT STAFF | Laura Dellplain, Project Manager

As an HIV tester and counselor during my university days and beyond, I learned very quickly that most people have more pressing issues to deal with in their lives than HIV prevention. At at Oberlin College, I often saw clients shortly after an unprotected sexual encounter. For most, condom use to protect against HIV and […]

Impactful collaborations today for innovative solutions tomorrow

This International Women’s Health Day, we at the IMPT remain committed to making impactful contributions in improving women’s health, rights, and lives. While much improvement has been realized in women’s lives since the first International Women’s Health Day was celebrated in 1987, there is still much more to be done. One powerful way to improve […]

MEET THE SECRETARIAT STAFF | Kathreen Daria, Project Coordinator

When I was a college freshman, I was among the 45% of 15-29 year old students with a stated desire to work in healthcare. Like many of these young people, I didn’t initially realize that a career in health could be outside a hospital setting–but soon discovered another exciting and important avenue in public health. […]

MEET THE SECRETARIAT STAFF | Bethany Young Holt, IMPT Director

The Initiative for MPTs (IMPT) is dedicated to advancing the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health of women and girls worldwide. The Secretariat staff, who manage this global learning network, comprise a group of women who have worked a combined eight decades in the women’s health and sexual and reproductive health fields. From working with underserved […]

FROM THE PIPELINE | Evofem Biosciences to advance the MPT market with Amphora®

Evofem Biosciences’ lead product candidate, Amphora® is an MPT – more specifically, a Multipurpose Vaginal pH Regulator (MVP-RTM) – that is being developed for the prevention of pregnancy and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including chlamydia and gonorrhea. Amphora is a non-hormonal, acid-buffering vaginal gel designed to regulate a woman’s vaginal pH to within the […]

A year in review: 2018

Happy New Year from the IMPT Secretariat! Recharged from the holiday season, we are proud to share a few major highlights from our 2018 work as IMPT learning network manager – fostering connections between multidisciplinary partners; collecting, synthesizing, and disseminating MPT-relevant information; and accelerating action to advance progress in the field. We spread the word […]