ABSTRACT
Despite recent advances in treatment, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a major global health concern. While efforts have been made to find effective cures, current treatments remain costly and out of reach of the majority of people who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. During the 1980s, when no effective treatments were available, many health experts and policymakers took the view that HIV/AIDS-related health education, particularly for ‘at risk’ groups, was probably the most effective way of minimising the spread of the infection. Indeed, there remains a broad consensus that the modification of high-risk behaviours such as unprotected sexual activities or the sharing of needles in intravenous drug use remains the single most effective way of reducing HIV infection rates.
