I’m at work and cannot spend much time on hashing out a diary. But the news is so good that it should be shared widely. I found the following press release in my inbox this morning:
Groundbreaking trial results confirm HIV treatment prevents transmission of HIV
GENEVA, 12 May 2011–Results announced today by the United States National Institutes of Health show that if an HIV-positive person adheres to an effective antiretroviral therapy regimen, the risk of transmitting the virus to their uninfected sexual partner can be reduced by 96%.
“This breakthrough is a serious game changer and will drive the prevention revolution forward. It makes HIV treatment a new priority prevention option,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). “Now we need to make sure that couples have the option to choose Treatment for Prevention and have access to it.”
The trial, conducted by the HIV Prevention Trials Network, enrolled more than 1 700 sero-discordant couples (one partner who is HIV-positive and one who is HIV-negative) from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States of America.
Only people living with HIV with a CD4 cell count of between 350 and 550, thus not yet eligible for treatment for their own health according to latest WHO guidelines, were enrolled in the study. The reduction of sexual transmission of HIV was so significant that the trial was stopped 3-4 years ahead of schedule.
[…]
Experts state that the results announced yesterday are the most significant trial results seen to date in the AIDS response. The results represent compelling evidence that Treatment works for Prevention.
It also gives hope for the HIV prevention revolution as 80% of all new HIV infections are transmitted sexually.
However there is still no single method of preventing HIV which is 100% effective. This means that to get full benefit Treatment for Prevention (TFP) it will need to be used in combination with other HIV prevention options.
Still, the findings are important as they will give people living with HIV the dignity and confidence to fully engage in the HIV prevention revolution. TFP should also help to break down some of the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV.
Now back to work, hope the above news were encouraging.