Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

New steps for HIV prevention

Thiruvananthapuram: Even though several global initiatives are on to provide, in the next few years, new and complementary strategies for HIV prevention, condom use would remain the cornerstone for preventing the sexual

transmission of HIV, Philippe van de Perre, Professor of Bacteriology-Virology at the University of Montpellier, France, has said.

He was delivering a lecture on ‘New Strategies for HIV Prevention: From Research to Practice Policy’ at the medical college here on Saturday. The lecture was organised jointly by the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) and the Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum on the occasion of World AIDS Day.

The suppressive therapy for herpes simplex virus, microbicides, pre-exposure prophylaxis therapy and the promotion of male circumcision have been found to be very promising measures for HIV prevention. Genital ulcers due to a chronic infection with herpes virus has been found to be a common feature in many who have acquired HIV infection through sexual transmission.

According to the scientific data available, there is close interaction between the herpes virus and HIV. The herpes virus may facilitate or increase the risk of acquisition and transmission of HIV infection.

Scientists are now in the process of exploring if suppressing the herpes virus using the drug, acyclovir, can be a complementary way of reducing HIV transmissibility, Dr. van de Perre said.

The ancient practice of male circumcision is another promising HIV prevention approach because it has been observed that countries with higher rates of male circumcision have lower rates of HIV infection.

He said that several clinical trials to find out if topical substances such as microbicides can reduce HIV transmission were in the last stages.

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