Feasibility and acceptability of sexual abstinence for interruption of HIV transmission among individuals with acute HIV infection - formative data from CHAVI 011

To the Editor: We refer to the article by Parkhurst and Whiteside in the April 2010 issue of the 'Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine'. The authors suggest that a limited period of population-wide sexual abstinence might be an effective and low-cost method of interrupting the transmission of HIV, particularly among individuals with acute HIV infection (AHI). Evidence is mounting that a large proportion of HIV transmission may be attributed to individuals who are in the acute phase of HIV infection, best described as the time period during which HIV can be detected in blood serum and plasma but before the formation of antibodies, as measured by standard assays. The viral burden in blood and genital secretions is particularly high during this brief period, resulting in individuals with AHI being highly infectious. They are often unaware of their status or believe themselves to be HIV negative.