Is it ethical to isolate study participants to prevent HIV transmission during trials with an analytical treatment interruption?

Abstract

This commentary considers an extreme idea for protecting against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission to sex partners of individuals participating in HIV remission studies with an analytical treatment interruption (ATI). Other human challenge studies, such as studies of influenza, commonly isolate participants during the trial, to protect their contacts and the community against infection. Why should HIV studies with a treatment interruption be any different, one might wonder? This article concludes that isolation should not be used in HIV remission studies with an ATI but also shows that the matter is complex.

Keywords: HIV; HIV cure–related studies; analytic treatment interruption; human challenge studies; isolation; research ethics.