Treatment as Prevention: Should Hepatitis C Learn the Lessons from HIV?
José V. Fernández-Montero 1, Esther J. Aspinall 2, James E. Burns 2
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 2 NULL
*Correspondence: Esther J. Aspinall, Email not available
Abstract
Long-term experience in the treatment of HIV-infected individuals has shown indirect benefits of early initiation of antiretroviral therapy, particularly in preventing HIV transmission. With the advent of direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C, the strategy of treatment-as-prevention has become feasible. However, economic, clinical, ethical, and public health issues arise from the concept of using therapeutic interventions only as prevention strategies.
Keywords: HIV. Hepatitis C. Direct-acting antivirals. Prevention. Resistance.
