Drug Treatment as HIV Prevention: Expanding Treatment Options

Abstract  Research conducted during the first 20 years of the AIDS epidemic provided a solid foundation of data supporting methadone
treatment as HIV prevention. Drug users in methadone treatment were consistently found to reduce the frequency of drug use,
risk behaviors, and infections. These data have been consistent over time and across cultural settings and have been used
to promote the expansion of drug treatment as a prevention intervention. More recently, data have emerged suggesting the prevention
potential of medication-assisted treatments other than methadone (buprenorphine/naloxone and naltrexone). Still, with a few
notable exceptions, global drug treatment coverage for opiate injectors remains remarkably low and only a few treatment interventions
for stimul…