New drug shows significant promise in fight against AIDS

WASHINGTON, D.C. –GHN News -  In the fight against AIDS there is new positive information that shows in many ways the disease is on the run from some combatant drugs that seem to be working.

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AIDS blood test - wikimedia commons

The National Institutes of Health announced that a daily dose of an oral antiretroviral drug taken by HIV negative gay and bisexual men reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infection by 43.8 percent.  Those who adhered to a strict drug regimen had their risk reduced by up to 73 percent.

President Barack Obama welcomed this news with the following statement:“I am encouraged by this announcement of groundbreaking research on HIV prevention. While more work is needed, these kinds of studies could mark the beginning of a new era in HIV prevention. As this research continues, the importance of using proven HIV prevention methods cannot be overstated."

One of the President’s top HIV/AIDS policy priorities was the development and implementation of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), which was released in July 2010.

The National Institutes of Health underlines, however, that no approach to resolving the problem of HIV/AIDS is 100% effective and consistent condom use is important.