confronting the hiv pandemic

CDC HIV/AIDS/Viral Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update Confronting the HIV Pandemic Nathanson, Neal; Auerbach, Judith D.
June 10, 1999

Science (06/04/99) No. 5420, Vol. 284, P. 1619 In an editorial, Neal Nathanson and Judith D. Auerbach, of the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health, discuss NIH's new HIV prevention research program. The program is a multidisciplinary approach, combining behavioral science, social science, and biological methods, to fight the spread of HIV. Researchers are prioritizing development of microbicides for women, international prevention research, interventions which are culturally and ethnically appropriate, validation of prevention measures, and study of ethical concerns regarding research and prevention programs. The new research program is deemed of paramount importance because AIDS has surpassed malaria and tuberculosis as the world's leading infectious killer. Furthermore, prevention has proven very effective, reducing annual incidence of HIV infection to less 5 percent in some groups of gay men in the United States. Needle-exchange programs have cut HIV transmission among intravenous drug users by more than 30 percent in some places. Behavioral strategies have cut infection rates by up to 50 percent in developing countries like Uganda, Thailand, and Senegal, and blood screening technology has reduced the transmission of HIV through bad blood by 99.9 percent in the United States. The use of antiretroviral regimens has cut perinatal transmission of HIV by up to 90 percent in optimal settings. Successful behavioral strategies, as well as cutting-edge biomedical technologies, are necessary to curb the spread of HIV, the authors conclude.

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Copyright © 1999 -CDC Prevention News Update, Publisher. All rights reserved to Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD. The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Contact the sources of the articles abstracted below for full texts of the articles. Information in this article was accurate in June 10, 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.