DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Researchers say a new, groundbreaking study could be the first steps to seeing an end to HIV.
"The Partner Trial" of close to 1,000 gay male couples for 8 years found zero transmission from an HIV positive partner to an HIV negative partner if the source partner was on antiretroviral therapy.
"I cannot overstate the significance of these findings, which revealed absolutes (zero cases) that we rarely (if ever) find in medicine," said Dr. Steven Klemow, Medical Director at Methodist Dallas. "It means that if someone is HIV positive and is on effective medication, they are effectively at zero risk for viral transmission to others during sexual contact."
The success of the medicine means that is everyone with HIV were fully treated, there would be no further infections. Earlier studies have also shown the treatment protects heterosexual couples where one partner has HIV.
"UN Aid has a call for 90,90,90 which is basically to identify 90% of people who have HIV, to have 90% on treatment and 90% undetectable. With mathematical modeling the hope is by 2030, if we achieve that, that we will halt any new progression of the virus to new hosts," said Dr. Klemow.
The challenge, according to Dr. Klemow, is that many people don't know they are infected. In 2017, there were almost 40 million people worldwide living with HIV.