The HIV virus, which attacks the immune system, can cause AIDS if left untreated. The disease is incurable, but thanks to daily medicines, the virus can be suppressed to such an extent that virus particles can no longer be found in the blood. This treatment has been around for years and ensures that HIV patients can no longer transmit the virus to others. It also enables people with HIV to lead a normal life. However, HIV-infected people must take one or more pills every day.
Due to the approval of the British authorities, daily taking medicines will soon no longer be necessary for the group of patients whose virus has been suppressed for a long time. Successful trials show that six injections a year suppress the virus just as well. As an added benefit, the injections may also have fewer side effects.
“We still have a long way to go in HIV education, but today’s announcement shows how far we’ve come since the epidemic of the 1980s,” Garry Brough of Positively UK advocacy group told the British newspaper. “It’s a huge step forward. Taking medication every day can be physically, emotionally and socially tough for some people.”
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