Community Corner
CDC Study: Drug Could Reduce Risk of HIV Infection
Separate University of Washington study also found reduced risk of infection
A study released on Tuesday by the found that a drug given to HIV patients can prevent spreading the infection to uninfected sexual partners.
The study "found that a once-daily tablet... reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infection by roughly 63 percent" among the uninfected heterosexual men and women that participated, according to a news release from the CDC. The research was conducted in conjunction with the Botswana Ministry of Health.
The drug, known by the brand name Truvada, contains tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine (TDF/FTC), according to the release.
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A separate trial released by the University of Washington also found that a daily dose of a drug "reduced HIV transmission among heterosexual couples in Kenya and Uganda," according to the news release.
The CDC worked with University of Washington researchers on two of the nine sites associated with the trial.
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“Taken together, these studies provide strong evidence of the power of this prevention strategy,” Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, said in the news release.
For more information on both trials, visit the CDC website.
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