
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
There is a way we can stop the HIV epidemic in South Africa within 10 years, according to a study published in The Lancet on November 25, 2008. You might think this news would have made banner headlines, but with a presidential election, an economic meltdown, and the holidays dominating the minds and hearts of the country, it didn't get much media play. However, with no vaccine in sight and vaginal microbicides not working, we need to think 'outside the box' about how to stop the spread of HIV. In sub'Saharan Africa alone 20 million are infected, yet 80% don't know it. So it is no surprise that there were 2.7 million newly infected with HIV in 2007. In this Lancet article the authors created a mathematical model to evaluate the effect of testing everyone in South Africa over the age of 15 yearly and initiating treatment immediately for anyone who is seropositive. Starting with the assumption that those with an undetectable viral load have only a 1% chance of transmitting HIV and factoring in adherence, resistance, and various issues, they estimated that within a decade the incidence of HIV would decline 95%. At that rate there would be less than one new infection transmitted per each currently infected patient, and this would stop the epidemic. Just as limiting couples to one child will reduce population growth, an aging HIV population would not be replaced by younger infected individuals. Somewhat parallel to this, Julio Montaner of the Vancouver-based British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, has calculated that new infections would decrease 70% in British Columbia if treatment was started on all HIV patients when CD4 counts dropped to 350 instead of waiting until 200, which 50% of patients there do. This would help, but it still doesn't treat enough of the HIV-positive population to stop the growth of the virus. The authors, of course, cite many obstacles, such as weak health care systems, lack of personnel, and discrimination issues beyond the basic medical concerns of toxicities and resistance. In addition, the adoption of this plan globally would require a quadrupling of HIV-related spending in the next three years, reaching $50 billion by 2015. Cost savings would start by about 2030, according to the researchers, as the total number of HIV-infected people continued to decrease. They also noted other benefits, including better control of HIV-associated tuberculosis, reduction in the high morbidity and mortality from late diagnosis, and effective prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Perhaps, with studies showing that earlier treatment keeps patients healthier and that the recently infected are responsible for 50% of all HIV transmissions in this country, universal testing and treatment may not be that far outside the box. Bowers is an HIV specialist and is board-certified in family medicine. He is in private practice in New York City. Learn more about Bowers at https://www.danbowersmd.com
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic
May 02 2025 5:36 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Dancer. Healer. Survivor. DéShaun Armbrister is all of the above
July 02 2025 8:23 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
BREAKING: Supreme Court rules to save free access to preventive care, including PrEP
June 27 2025 10:32 AM
1985: the year the AIDS crisis finally broke through the silence
June 26 2025 11:24 AM
Trump admin guts $258 million in funding for HIV vaccine research
June 03 2025 3:47 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
VIDEO: A man living with HIV discusses his journey to fatherhood
June 10 2025 4:58 PM
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM