NIH Statement on World AIDS Day

“We now have life-saving antiretroviral drugs to treat and greatly extend the lives of men and women living with HIV. Daily antiretroviral therapy that suppresses HIV to undetectable levels benefits people living with HIV and prevents sexual transmission of the virus to others.

We also have a range of options available for people to prevent acquisition of HIV. These options include pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a single pill that can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV by more than 95 percent when taken daily. Emergency post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, also can prevent HIV infection if it is begun within three days of exposure and taken for an additional 28 days. If these methods of treatment and prevention could be widely implemented, an end to the HIV pandemic would be feasible.”

Read more at niaid.nih.gov.