Positive prevention: HIV transmission risk reduction interventions for people living with HIV/AIDS

Abstract

HIV prevention programmes require scaling up in southern Africa, and interventions that target people living with HIV/AIDS (positive prevention) should be included in all comprehensive HIV prevention plans. Positive prevention interventions have been tested in the USA and have been demonstrated effective in reducing HIV transmission risks. Lessons learned from US trials can be used in selecting and adapting positive prevention interventions for use in southern Africa. Efforts to implement positive prevention will be enhanced by reducing institutionalised AIDS stigmas and culturally held AIDS denialism and by increasing access to HIV/AIDS care services including antiretroviral therapies and sexually transmitted infection detection and treatment. Positive prevention should not replace, but rather should augment, generalised HIV prevention interventions targeting high-risk populations.