Do tritherapies protect against HIV in unprotected sex?

[18 January 2008 - 10h14]
[mis à jour le 18 January 2008 à 14h15]

“A man or woman living with HIV and following an effective antiretroviral treatment cannot infect their sexual partner”. This statement by Dr Bernard Hirschel, head of the HIV/AIDS unit at the University Hospitals of Geneva, has sparked a controversy. And with good reason… because it seems to apply even to cases of unprotected sex! So… information or disinformation?

Questioned by the Survivre au Sida Association, Dr Hirschel explained that he has “strong supporting data”. His thesis is as follows: tritherapy lowers the level of HIV in the blood to the point where it becomes undetectable. Consequently, patients are no longer infectious.

In France, Dr Willy Rozenbaum, President of the French National AIDS Council (CNS) is taking the matter very seriously. “In fact”, he explained to us, “the debate has been going on for some years within the scientific community. The first study on the subject dates back to 2000”.

For Dr Rozenbaum, the theory developed by Dr Hirschel is indeed “a reality”. However, it remains to be seen to what extent tritherapies do in fact halt the transmission of HIV. “Communication on the matter cannot be the same if the reduction in risk is 50% as opposed to 99%”, he continues. “In any case, this is one of the issues we must address at the CNS during the weeks to come”.

Generally speaking, the information put out by Dr Hirschel requires consolidation before contemplating, if appropriate, new communication strategies with regard to the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Associations such as SIDA Info Service, which considers this announcement as dangerous, are staying on the alert. For the time being, condoms remain the only form of prevention recognised to be effective against HIV/AIDS, but also against other sexually transmissible conditions such as syphilis, gonococcal diseases and hepatitis B and C.

Source : Interview with Dr Willy Rozenbaum (CNS), Association Survivre au SIDA, Sida Info Service, 17 January 2008

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