Advances in HIV therapy have enabled people with HIV to live longer, with improved quality of life. Successful suppressive therapy has also had significant impact on public health, reducing HIV infection and transmission of drug-resistant virus. However, for this scenario to be sustained and improved, requires the best clinical management strategies, efficient access to optimal treatments, prophylaxis, timely diagnostic intervention as well as earlier initiation of therapy. It also requires an understanding of the emerging science of HIV prevention, including treatment, prophylactic and behavioural strategies for reducing transmission of HIV.

This NAM Clinical Symposium, which took place at the Royal College of Physicians on 22 May 2009, explored the science of HIV treatment as prevention and its practical consequences for HIV clinical practice. The programme brought together experts from HIV prevention and treatment towards a scientific, clinical and policy debate aimed at optimising HIV treatment for the individual, prevention for those uninfected and reducing the national burden of HIV.

The audience for the event consisted of physicians, healthcare workers, scientific experts, policy makers and treatment fluent community advocates.  The full programme can be viewed here. 

The event was supported by unrestricted educational grants from Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Pfizer and Tibotec, a division of Janssen Cilag.

You can listen to the presentations, view the slidesets and see images of the day using the media player below.  The order of speakers and presentations is as follows:

• Treatment as prevention overview:  Professor Myron Cohen 
• Reducing the burden of undiagosed HIV infection:  Dr Valerie Delpech
• Scientific advances in ARV-based prevention research:  Professor Robin Shattock
• Understanding the Swiss Federal AIDS Commission statement on treatment, transmission and infectiousness:  Dr Pietro Vernazza
• Should we treat patients in primary infection?:  Dr Sarah Fidler
• Conception and child-bearing: Issues in assisted conception: Dr Pietro Vernazza
• Issues and challenges affecting sexually active HIV-positive MSM:  Professor Graham Hart
• Discussing concerns about transmission, prosecutions and duty of care:  Lisa Power
• Discussing sexuality and behaviour in the clinic:  Professor Myron Cohen & Dr Stephen Taylor
• Closing remarks: Dr Stephen Taylor

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