How to Address the Risk of HIV Transmission in Remission Studies With Treatment Interruption: The Low-Hanging Fruit Approach

Abstract

Some HIV remission studies include a treatment interruption that seriously risks infecting participants' sex partners with HIV. What, ethically, is owed to these nonparticipants? Until greater certainty emerges on what protections should be afforded nonparticipants of research studies, what I call a "low-hanging fruit" approach may help researchers and review bodies determine how to address infection risks to nonparticipants in these studies.

Keywords: HIV; HIV cure-related studies; analytic treatment interruption; research ethics.