Use of effective HIV treatment increases in U.S.

The percentage of HIV-infected patients in the U.S. being treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy increased by 9 percent from 2000 to 2008, and patients appeared to be less infectious and have healthier immune systems at death, according to a study led by researchers at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The research findings were published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"This is good news for the HIV epidemic in the U.S., but there is room for improvement," said Keri N. Althoff, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology. "We need to continue to focus on linking HIV-infected adults into care and effective treatment, not only for the individual's health, but to reduce the likelihood of transmission to others."