President Obama Welcomes New HIV Prevention Research Results

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Institutes of Health announced findings on recent HIV prevention research.  The study finds that a daily dose of an oral antiretroviral drug taken by HIV-negative gay and bisexual men reduced the risk of acquiring HIV infection by 43.8 percent, and had even higher rates of effectiveness, up to 73 percent, among those participants who adhered most closely to the daily drug regimen.

“I am encouraged by this announcement of groundbreaking research on HIV prevention. While more work is needed, these kinds of studies could mark the beginning of a new era in HIV prevention. As this research continues, the importance of using proven HIV prevention methods cannot be overstated,” said President Obama.

One of the President’s top HIV/AIDS policy priorities was the development and implementation of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), which was released in July 2010. As underlined in the NHAS, no HIV prevention method is 100 percent effective, and a combination of approaches including, among other steps, consistent condom use, will be necessary to prevent HIV infection.  Nevertheless, the research results announced this past summer of an effective microbicide and today’s results fall directly in line with priority recommendations in the NHAS.  Moreover, today’s study suggests that antiretroviral medication may serve as one more valuable tool as we seek to develop the best combinations of effective approaches to prevent HIV infection.