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NAM prevention survey results: testing underestimated, support for treatment as prevention, reservations about PrEP
Gus Cairns, 2013-12-09 14:40:00

A survey of beliefs and opinions on HIV prevention options, conducted by NAM as part of a programme of European HIV prevention work, has found that respondents believed that using antiretroviral therapy (ART) is almost as effective in preventing HIV infections as using condoms.

HIV testing and condom provision remain the prevention resources that respondents believed need most prioritisation.

Respondents also tended to believe that HIV testing rates were low in their area – possibly lower than in actual fact. They tended to somewhat overestimate the effectiveness of consistent condom use in preventing HIV and were unsure of the efficacy of PrEP – which may reflect widely different efficacy reported in studies. As for antiretroviral therapy, while the majority believed it was highly effective in reducing the chances of someone passing on HIV, one in six believed it would be no more than 50% effective.

Source:1