In an article in the June issue of AIDS, the UK Register of HIV Seroconverters has reported new information about how soon after seroconversion anti-HIV therapy is begun.
Results were available from 1308 seroconverters, just over half of whom had started treatment by the end of September 1998. Compared with the period between 1989 and 1994, the time to initiation of antiretroviral therapy was significantly shorter in 1997 to 1998. Seroconversion occurs when the immune system develops antibodies in response to HIV infection, a sign of having been exposed to and contracted the virus very recently.
In 1997 to 1998, 19.5 % of seroconverters began treatment within six months of seroconversion, compared with 8.4% in the two years prior to that, and 2.0% in 1989-1994.
The authors note that the best time to begin treatment with anti-HIV drugs remains unknown.
Source: Porter K et al. How soon after HIV seroconversion is antiretroviral therapy initiated? AIDS 13:1241-1247,
1999.