Retrovirology: Research and Treatment

Formal attempts to notify human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-exposed persons have seldom been used in Africa. Two recent partner notification (PN) trials provide strong evidence that HIV PN is feasible, acceptable to Africans, safe, probably cost-effective, and, above all, capable of producing high proportions of newly identified HIV-infected partners. Referring infected partners to medical (potentially life-saving and transmission-dampening) care should help interrupt onward HIV transmission. Moreover, multiple recent reports indicating the need to reassess transmission dynamics to explain Africa’s striking regional differences in HIV prevalence provide a powerful rationale for PN programs, especially those willing to investigate both sexual (including, specifically, anal intercourse) and non-sexual (puncturing exposures) transmission modes. Data from such focused PN initiatives are likely to help elucidate the time-honored question: “Why Africa?” and hence to recalibrate local prevention messages and priorities. The encouraging results from these trials should help efforts to obtain funding assistance from governments and other donors.