Early ART effective in preventing HIV transmission to uninfected partner

A multi-centric study involving city-based National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) has showed 96 per cent efficacy of the use of early anti-retroviral therapy for preventing HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partner.

A multi-centric study involving city-based National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) has showed 96 per cent efficacy of the use of early anti-retroviral therapy (ART) for preventing HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partner.

It also protects the infected person from Extra Pulmonary TB apart from giving other clinical benefits.

Issues like will anti-retroviral treatment of the HIV positive partner reduce the rate of transmission to the negative partner and can an immediate therapy slow the progression of disease as compared to delayed therapy were among the questions researchers across nine countries worked on since five years.

In India,175 couples from NARI and 250 from Chennai-based YRG Care organisation were involved. The trial included 1,763 couples out of which 886 couples were randomly assigned to the early-therapy group and 877 to the delayed-therapy group. Twelve additional HIV-uninfected partners were enrolled as the result of a new relationship. A majority of couples (97%) were heterosexual,94% were married and 50% of HIV-infected participants were men.

Findings of the study were recently published in New England Journal of Medicine and stated that early treatment benefits both infected and uninfected persons. NARI director Dr R S Paranjape said only 39 uninfected partners got the HIV infection. Out of this,it was proved by the study,28 infections were acquired from their partners. While one transmission of HIV case occurred in the early therapy group,27 occurred in the delayed therapy group of sero discordant couples,resulting in a 96 per cent reduction in the rate of transmission.

NARI scientist Dr Sheela Godbole who was the investigator of records for the study in Pune,said not a single person got infected in the NARI study which was part of the the trial conducted at 13 sites in nine countries. Of the 27 transmissions,nine were man-to-woman,18 were woman-to-man and all occurred when the infected partner was not receiving anti-retroviral therapy.

For many years,anti retroviral therapy was delayed until a patient’s CD4 count fell below 200 cells per cubic millimeter,which led to frequent opportunistic infections. The Indian government guidelines have raised the bar to starting ART for an HIV positive person with a CD 4 count of 350.

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However,this study shows that patients with HIV infection who had CD4 counts between 350 and 550 cells per cubic millimeter and who were in a stable sexual relationship with an uninfected partner benefited from early ART.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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Early ART effective in preventing HIV transmission to uninfected partner

A multi-centric study involving city-based National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) has showed 96 per cent efficacy of the use of early anti-retroviral therapy for preventing HIV transmission to uninfected sexual partner.

Early ART effective in preventing HIV transmission to uninfected partner