Around 2.5 million people become infected with HIV each year and after 30 years
of the HIV epidemic more than 34 million persons are living with HIV infection. This
extraordinary toll on human life and public health worldwide will only be reversed
with effective prevention. There is a need for evidence-based interventions that
can be implemented to treat the established infections and prevent the new ones
from happening. This paper aims to discuss about different types of HIV prevention
strategies that are effective and practiced in different countries with special emphasis
on evidence for success. A review of the literature was done to get the information
about the successful interventions for HIV prevention from different countries.
The literature was accessed from health and medical sciences databases available
on the internet. All the relevant peer-reviewed journals and reports were studied
and were categorically discussed in detail with the evidence. For a successful
reduction in HIV transmission, there is a need for an aggregate effect of radical
and sustained behavioral changes in a suffi cient number of individuals potentially
at risk. Reductions in HIV transmission need widespread and sustained efforts, and
a mix of communication channels to disseminate messages to motivate people to
engage in range of options to reduce the risk. The effect of behavioral strategies
could be increased by aiming for many goals that are achieved by use of multilevel
approaches with populations both uninfected and infected with HIV. These prevention
programs operate on different levels to address the specifi c, but diverse needs of
the populations at risk of HIV infection. There is an urgent need for greater demand
and greater support from communities and policymakers for rights-based, evidenceinformed
prevention strategies. And the prevention experts need to overcome
the prejudices and political sensitivities that have impeded implementation of the
HIV prevention programs
Key words: Behavioral strategies, biomedical interventions, communication, HIV/AIDS,
prevention