A new focus: HIV-discordant couples and pre-exposure prophylaxis

摘要

In Uganda, a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in stable sexual relationships has begun. This 5-year study, in partnership with the University of Washington and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will enroll 3900 discordant couples 鈥? where one partner is HIV-positive and the other negative. The aim is to determine whether PrEP "prevents HIV acquisition within HIV discordant couples," said Jonathan Wangisi, principal investigator of the study. It has been reported that only 21% of Uganda's 30 million people have ever been tested for HIV and estimates have put the number of new infections at over 100,000 annually. According to the government, at least 42% of all new infections in Uganda occur in stable sexual relationships.