Efficacy of lemons as microbicide: Invitation to Indian researchers/Institutions

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

My name is Sant-Rayn Pasricha, and I am an Australian born and trained

doctor, of Indian origin, working in Melbourne, Australia. I am writing to

discuss with you a very exciting discovery.

Professor Short, of the University of Melbourne,(r.short@...)

has discovered that lemon (and lime) juice, even at diluted concentrations, is

lethal to the HIV virus, and furthermore, irreversibly immobilises sperm. He has

also shown that it is not harmful to vaginal epithelium, and does not damage

condoms. There is obviously much potential for these juices to be used as

microbicides, which can protect the female partner in hetrosexual

intercourse, if used pre-coitally. This could provide a powerful protection

for women against HIV infection.

This research has recieved the support of the director of UNAIDS,

Piot, the government of Australia, and the peak public health body of

, VIChealth.

With this information, a clinical trial has recently commenced in Bangkok,

Thailand, to assess the contraceptive efficacy of lime juice. This trial has

the full support of the Thai government.

We are keen to invite Indian centres to collaborate as coinvestigators in a

clinical trial to investigate whether lemon or lime juice will make an

effective microbicide: how well they can protect women from HIV

transmission. We feel that India is an ideal location for such a trial, as

successful intervention now may save India from an epidemic of Sub-Saharan

proportions.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or queries.

Thanks for your interest,

Dr Sant-Rayn Pasricha

LemonAids Group

E-mail: <santapasricha@...>