Testosterone for women: Low testosterone levels often cause irregular periods, fatigue, and weight and bone loss in women with HIV. Low-dose, twice weekly testosterone patches may ease these problems.

Failure to smear: Women with HIV have a heightened risk of cervical cancer, but about 25 percent of U.S. women don’t get annual cervical Pap smears. Get thee to thy gyn.

No hurry: Hormonal contraceptives—birth control pills, implants or injections—don’t speed HIV progression. (Earlier research had suggested they might.)

No condom? Women using Pro 2000/5, a vaginal gel to protect against HIV, ended up with fewer HIV infections than those using a placebo. The difference, though not significant, is the first sign of hope in human microbicide trials. Meanwhile, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.K. Department for International Development donated $130 million to the International Partnership for Microbicides to help gel the progress.