By Lucy Tiven
On Tuesday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and HIV transmission in mixed status couples — couples where one partner is HIV positive.
The HIV positive partners included in the study were already on ART, and the couples who participated — which were 61.7 percent heterosexual, and 38.3 percent MSM (men who have sex with men) — did not plan to use condoms, though they were encouraged to do so in doctor visits.
The results were groundbreaking.
"There were no documented cases of within-couple HIV transmission," the study reports. The authors concluded that taking antiretroviral drugs diligently was an extremely effective way to prevent HIV transmission, even when condoms were not used.
Vice Chair and Professor Jared Baeten provided his perspective on the study, HIV transmission, ART therapy, and PrEP on this one-on-one interview.