35.5 million people live with AIDS in the world. It is clear that the epidemic continues to explode, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its new health recommendations on AIDS on Wednesday.
Anyone infected with the AIDS virus should now be immediately placed on antiretroviral treatment, without waiting for the immune system to weaken. And, it is strongly recommended that men who have sex with men consider taking antiretrovirals as an additional method of HIV prevention.
To date, the organization recommended starting antiretrovirals in adults living with HIV as soon as their CD4 immune cell count (lymphocytes) fell below the threshold of 500 cells per cubic millimeter of blood.
These recommendations confirm the conclusions and results of the Start (Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment) study. Carried out in 35 countries with 4,685 men and women infected with HIV, aged at least 18, it revealed that people treated without delay were 53% less likely to die or develop illnesses linked to the infection and that early therapy not only improves the health of infected people but at the same time reduces their viral load and thereby the risk of transmitting HIV to others.
AIDS in France
In France 13 million people are treated with antivirals, each year more than 6000 new HIV infections are discovered. People are mostly infected sexually. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are one of the most exposed groups. They represent 42% of new cases. The National Institute for Health Surveillance (INVS) estimates that 30,000 to 40,000 people with HIV are unaware of it.
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