The National AIDS Trust (NAT) is calling on the NHS to allow people with HIV to start treatment early in order to protect their sexual partners after two leading HIV clinical bodies - the British HIV Association (BHIVA) and the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA) – authoritatively set out the scientific basis for HIV treatment as prevention.

In a statement published today (22 Jan 2013), BHIVA and EAGA sets out how treatment as prevention reduces HIV transmissions. By using HIV drugs to reduce the levels of the virus in their system people with HIV can become virtually non-infectious.

Deborah Jack, Chief Executive of NAT said:” A number of people with HIV want to start treatment early to lessen the chances of passing the virus on, meaning less worry for them but also fewer HIV transmissions, saving the NHS many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“NAT approached BHIVA and EAGA to investigate the scientific basis for treatment as prevention. It’s great to see this work come to fruition and to see these respected medical bodies endorse treatment as a way to tackle the rising numbers of people living with HIV in the UK.

“We now call on the NHS Commissioning Board to accept these respected agencies’ recommendations and provide HIV treatment early to all those who wish to start it. This will provide important reassurance for many people living with HIV. It also highlights the need for society's understanding of HIV to change and keep up with medical developments.”

BHIVA and EAGA’s statement on treatment as prevention also underlines how important it is for the UK to get better at diagnosing people with HIV early. Nearly half of people with HIV are diagnosed late, after the point at which they should have started HIV treatment, and have usually being living with HIV for at least five years without knowing it. 

Deborah Jack continues: “As a matter of urgency we need to reduce undiagnosed HIV and maximise the proportion of people with HIV who are tested, and accessing good quality treatment and care.  At a time of such massive change within the NHS it is imperative that the newly created Public Health England ensures we don't lose ground on HIV testing but rather make further and significant progress in getting everyone with HIV diagnosed and into treatment and care.

Notes to the editor:

For further information please contact:

Suzi Price, communications manager, NAT, 020 7814 6733, press@nat.org.uk

NAT

NAT (National AIDS Trust) is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to transforming society’s response to HIV. We provide fresh thinking, expertise and practical resources. We champion the rights of people living with HIV and campaign for change. www.nat.org.uk

Shaping attitudes. Challenging injustice. Changing lives.

For further information or to read the statement please visit  BHVA on www.bhiva.org or EGAR on EAGA