Antiretroviral Therapy Prevents Heterosexual HIV Transmission

Antiretroviral therapy lowered the likelihood of HIV transmission by 92% among serodiscordant heterosexual couples in Africa; in a large Spanish study, no exposed partners seroconverted.

Effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) lowers seminal and cervicovaginal HIV to undetectable levels in many patients, but its effect on heterosexual transmission of infection has not been well defined. In two studies, researchers examined this issue.

The first study involved 3381 serodiscordant couples in Africa. Researchers compared transmission rates between 349 HIV-positive individuals who initiated ART during follow-up (for clinical indications) and 3032 who did not. A total of 103 initially seronegative partners became infected with HIV strains that were linked genetically to those of their study partners; in 102 cases, the infected partner had not started ART. In the remaining case, HIV was transmitted shortly after ART initiation, app…

Reviewing Authors

Abigail Zuger, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Abigail Zuger, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Bruce Soloway, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNew RoAR News (http://www.newroarnews.org)

Bruce Soloway, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNew RoAR News (http://www.newroarnews.org)