HIV Prevention

Although risk reduction counseling and barrier protection remain important strategies for prevention of HIV acquisition and other sexually transmitted infections, there have been significant advances in medication-based prevention strategies in recent years following advances in HIV treatment. There are now many safe and highly effective methods for HIV prevention, components of a prevention toolkit that clinicians may choose from or use in combination as appropriate for each patient. Treatment of HIV-infected individuals to achieve virologic suppression prevents transmission to others in nearly all cases. Treatment of HIV-infected pregnant women with combination antiretroviral therapy also prevents transmission to the infant in nearly all cases. Treating HIV-uninfected individuals with antiretroviral agents either before or after possible exposure has also been shown to be effective in significantly reducing the risk of HIV acquisition. Clinicians should use these effective tools to compose an HIV prevention strategy that is individualized to each patient.  This review contains 1 figure, and 34 references. Key words: circumcision, dolutegravir, emtricitabine, needle exchange, pree