The journal Science has named the HIV study, known as HPTN 052, as the most important scientific breakthrough of 2011. The clinical trial of the treatment showed that people with HIV are 96% less likely to transmit the virus to their partners if they take antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).
The findings end a long-standing debate over whether antiretroviral drugs could provide a double benefit by treating the virus in patients while also effectively cutting transmission rates. Researchers now agree that it’s clear that ARVs provide treatment as well as prevention when it comes to HIV.