Africa: Pre-exposure prophylaxis could prevent up to 3,000,000 HIV infections in ten years

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) – the use of antiretroviral drugs to prevent infection with HIV – could prevent up to 3,000,000 new HIV infections over ten years in southern Africa if used consistently, according to mathematical modelling published this month in the online journal PLoS One. Animal studies are testing the use of combinations of antiretroviral drugs, taken for indefinite periods, in order to prevent HIV infection.