Anti-retroviral therapy
HIV transmission reduced by 96%
An HIV-positive person who takes anti-retroviral drugs after diagnosis, rather than when their health declines, can cut the risk of spreading the virus to uninfected partners by 96 percent, according to a recent study from the US National Institutes of Health, says BBC. "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 Sidibe, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAIDS). The World Health Organisation says sexual transmission accounts for 80 percent of all new HIV infections. Its director general, Dr Margaret Chan, described the announcement as a "crucial development". She added that the findings from this study will further strengthen and support the new guidance that WHO is releasing in July to help people living with HIV protect their partners. The value of anti-retrovirals, in preventing transmission, had been speculated for some time after observational studies, but researchers say this is the first time it has been proven in clinical trials. Experts opined that HIV treatment is a very powerful form of HIV prevention, and could have a major effect on the HIV epidemic in the worst-affected countries.
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