title: Rationale and evidence for human immunodeficiency virus treatment as prevention at the individual and population levels.
abstract: Individual health benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) are becoming clearer. In resource-rich countries, side effects of current ART regimens are minimal. US guidelines recommend ART regardless of CD4 count or viral load. Maintaining an undetectable viral load with ART comes close to eliminating the risk of HIV transmission, leading the US guidelines to recommend universal ART to reduce HIV transmission. Achieving population-level control through treatment as prevention (TasP) may be feasible, but requires considerable investment of resources devoted to HIV testing, linkage to care, ART accessibility, and retention in care. Ongoing studies of TasP will provide insight into achieving meaningful ART coverage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Room 226, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe Street, Room 226, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Specialty Services, Southwest CARE Center, 649 Harkle Road, Suite E, Sante Fe, NM 87505, USA. Electronic address: jgallant@southwestcare.org.
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gallant
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D065129:Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents
keywords: Adherence; Antiretroviral therapy; Epidemic; HIV; HIV testing; Prevention; TasP; Treatment as prevention