Should HIV-negative people get antiretroviral drugs?

New results show that an anti-retroviral vaginal gel can partially prevent HIV infection transmitted by vaginal intercourse. Other research studies that use antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to prevent HIV infection are currently in the pipeline, with the results expected soon. Should these results show that ARVs can be used to prevent HIV, we will be faced with a number of financial, ethical and programmatic dilemmas.

At a time when South Africa is struggling to afford ARVs for treatment, should the use of ARV's for prevention be considered? If the answer is yes, can the country afford to offer these medications to anyone at risk of HIV, or will we have to decide which groups should be targeted for this intervention? If we roll out these medications widely, will the emergence of drug resistance become a problem among those who become HIV positive and in the broader community, and what impact will this have on the treatment programme?

These issues will be debated by Professor Helen Rees, executive director of the Wits Institute for Sexual and Reproductive Health, HIV and Related Diseases, Professor in the Wits Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Honorary Professor in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Professor Lynn Morris, head of the Aids Unit, Division of Virology and Communicable Disease Surveillance, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Research Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand.

Research in the Faculty of Health Sciences

The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand has a proud record of research and achievement in all aspects of health sciences. In addition to the many hundreds of individuals who carry out research in the Faculty, 21 research entities (programmes/units/groups) are gathered under the umbrella of the Research Office and the Schools of the Faculty.

The research carried out by researchers in the faculty varies from basic medical science to highly sophisticated molecular biosciences and from diseases of lifestyle to infectious diseases such as HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. In addition to medical sciences, our researchers carry out investigations into oral diseases, sports science, pharmaceutics, physiotherapy, palaeoanthropology and many other areas of the allied health sciences.

For more information go to web.wits.ac.za/Academic/Health/Research/.