In the short term, says Susan Fiscus '68, scientific advances might turn AIDS into a manageable, chronic disease, like diabetes. During that time, a vaccine might come.
Condoms are extremely effective.
Fiscus's recent work has brought her some media attention. Back in 1994, Fiscus and her team from Chapel Hill and Duke participated in a larger study examining the effects of the drug AZT administered to HIV-positive pregnant women and their newborns. The study found a two-thirds reduction in the transmission of HIV to the infants. Media outlets like The New York Times and USA Today highlighted the good news. The significance of the findings, however, was downplayed by some members of the medical and research communities, who questioned the effectiveness of such drug therapy outside an experimental setting.