Speakers - 2026

Title: Exploitation of sperm agglutination factor derived from Staphylococcus aureus as a putative candidate for vaginal contraception

Abstract

What will the audience take away from presentation? 

• The audience will understand the key limitations of currently available vaginal contraceptives, particularly the drawbacks associated with detergent-based formulations that compromise vaginal epithelial integrity and disrupt protective microflora.
• The presentation will demonstrate how microorganism–sperm interactions can be leveraged as an effective and localized strategy for vaginal contraception.
• The audience will gain insight into the identification, functional characterization, efficacy, and safety of a sperm-agglutinating factor derived from Staphylococcus aureus, highlighting its potential for development as a safe and reversible vaginal contraceptive agent.
• A woman-controlled, do-it-yourself, contraceptive strategy that enables prevention of fertilization.
• Researchers can apply the experimental strategy to identify and characterize other microbial proteins affecting sperm function or fertility.