HIV treatment strategies that can weather future challenges

摘要

Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy not only prevents AIDS and extends survival of people with HIV, but also significantly reduces new HIV infections. At the core of the treatment-as-prevention strategy is the goal of using safer, simpler, and better tolerated antiretroviral regimens to sustain suppression of viral replication and maintain an undetectable plasma viral load. The goal of treatment as prevention is to achieve immune reconstitution and disease-free survival; as the viral load becomes undetectable in biological fluids (eg, semen, vaginal fluids, blood) the risk of HIV transmission decreases by more than 95%.