End to Aids in sight as huge study finds drugs stop HIV transmission

[Celerity]

Paper says risk between male partners is zero if virus fully suppressed by antiretrovirals

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/02/end-to-aids-in-sight-as-huge-study-finds-drugs-stop-hiv-transmission

An end to the Aids epidemic could be in sight after a landmark study found men whose HIV infection was fully suppressed by antiretroviral drugs had no chance of infecting their partner.

The success of the medicine means that if everyone with HIV were fully treated, there would be no further infections.

Among nearly 1,000 male couples across Europe where one partner with HIV was receiving treatment to suppress the virus, there were no cases of transmission of the infection to the HIV-negative partner during sex without a condom. Although 15 men were infected with HIV during the eight-year study, DNA testing proved that was through sex with someone other than their partner who was not on treatment.

“It’s brilliant – fantastic. This very much puts this issue to bed,” said Prof Alison Rodgers from University College London, the co-leader of the paper published in the Lancet medical journal. Earlier studies have also shown the treatment protects heterosexual couples where one partner has HIV.

She added: “Our findings provide conclusive evidence for gay men that the risk of HIV transmission with suppressive ART [antiretroviral therapy] is zero. Our findings support the message of the international U=U campaign that an undetectable viral load makes HIV untransmittable.

snip

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. "If everyone with HIV were fully treated, there would be no further infections."

We fucking better well get everyone with HIV fully treated, then.

[Celerity]

2. +10000

[Quackers]

3. Good luck!

You see what’s happening with the measles epidemic. There’ll always be someone who won’t want it.

[Drahthaardogs]

6. Yeah! I can just hear it now, AIDS makes my natural immune system STRONGER

ER, no. Wait. Um.....

[Takket]

4. great news. thanks to the devoted loyal scientists that have given entire careers towards this goal.

nothing comes for free without years of painstaking research.

[BigmanPigman]

5. So ART is different from AZT?

Or are they the same thing?

[Celerity]

7. ART means Antiretroviral Therapy, AZT is a specific drug that's still included often in the cocktail

https://www.catie.ca/en/practical-guides/yght

https://www.catie.ca/fact-sheets/nukes/azt-zidovudine-retrovir

How do people with HIV use AZT?
AZT is used in combination with several other anti-HIV drugs, usually including drugs from different classes, such as protease inhibitors and/or non-nukes (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors). Combinations such as this are called antiretroviral therapy, or ART. For more information on ART, see CATIE's Your Guide to HIV Treatment.

For many people with HIV, the use of ART has increased their CD4+ cell counts and decreased the amount of HIV in their blood (viral load). These beneficial effects help to reduce the risk of developing a life-threatening infection. Neither AZT nor any other anti-HIV medication is a cure for HIV. It is therefore important that you do the following:

See your doctor regularly so that he/she can monitor your health.
Continue to practice safer sex and take other precautions so as not to pass HIV on to other people.
AZT was originally approved under the brand name Retrovir, which is still available but is very rarely used as a separate medication. AZT is usually taken as a component in the “fixed-dose combinations” Combivir and Trizivir, which combine AZT with other anti-HIV drugs in a single tablet.

[BigmanPigman]

8. Wow, thank you!

You're a wealth of info.

[Celerity]

9. YW!

[JennyMominFL]

10. Not so new

As someone who has lived with AIDS since 1990, this has been unofficially know for decades. I first discussed this with my dr 20 years ago. “Official” confirmation is nice though. I’ve been in a relationship with an HIV neg man for 25 years this month and have 3 hiv neg adult kids