Are the new drug therapies the key to controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic?
A wide range of behavioral and biomedical strategies are needed to control the epidemic. No medical advance, by itself, can succeed unless it is accompanied by appropriate behavior change. Even a vaccine does not stop a disease unless it is available and people have access to it. As researchers continue working to develop better treatment and prevention options, we must continue to focus on preventing HIV infection, which precludes the need for people to undergo complex, costly treatment regimens. A strong foundation of behavioral interventions must be maintained and, at the same time, there must be a focus on developing and strengthening biomedical prevention interventions such as vaccines, microbicides, and the treatment of other STDs. How can care, treatment, and prevention work better together? Better integrating care and treatment services, including those for STD and substance abuse, would allow us to take advantage of multiple opportunities for prevention — first, to help the u
