In a recent BMJ Blog Dr Rupert Whitaker cast a critical eye on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV infection, questioning its role as a public health intervention. The piece is challenging and although it rightly emphasises the need for a carefully planned
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Does the PARTNER study signal the death of condoms or should we curb our enthusiasm, and carry on pretending we use them? The preliminary results of the PARTNER study were one of the most talked about data
This year AIDS vaccine conference held in Barcelona highlighted some new and interesting developments but also showed that as an event it was starting to run on empty. A tale of two trials (one in Monkeys, one in Humans) The tag line “Progress, Partnership and
Year 31 of the HIV epidemic. World AIDS day. The time of the year to publish reports and plans with a new impetus to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This year the theme is “Ending AIDS”. The field has never been shy of trigger words
In the very early years of the HIV epidemic, as it was becoming clearer that the virus was mostly sexually transmitted, HIV prevention was limited to promoting condom use. For years, that was all that was available to protect oneself whilst politicians were debating the