The Impact of Tissue Viscoelasticity on the Flow Dynamics of an Anti-HIV Microbicidal Gel: Numerical Simulations

Coating vaginal or rectal epithelium using microbicidal gels is a promising preventive procedure against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A microbicidal gel is deployed as a delivery vehicle of anti-HIV and other anti-STI agents and it is also used to act as barrier between the pathogens and the biological tissue. The efficacy of a microbicidal gel depends greatly on the extent of the spreading and the amount of the epithelial surfaces covered.