In its “Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs” of 2011, Time magazine has listed HIV treatment as prevention at number three, just behind the use of cloning to create stem cells and a first-ever malaria vaccine. The magazine cites recent studies that show that an HIV-positive person who adheres to effective antiretroviral (ARV) treatment has less virus in his or her system, and therefore the likelihood of HIV transmission is reduced by 96 percent. The “treatment as prevention” banner also includes pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, which is when an HIV-negative partner takes daily ARVs to reduce the risk of contracting the virus. These two breakthroughs in HIV treatment, experts say, offer more tools in the global battle against HIV. Treatment as prevention demonstrates that getting ARVs to HIV-positive people cannot only save lives but can curb the spread of the virus.

To read the Time article, click here.