However, experts are warning that contentment could give rise to disaster and doctors and the federal government need to work harder to prevent HIV infections, according to a report released Wednesday by the Institute of Medicine. But the number of new infections remains unacceptably high. Much more work remains to be done. Physicians need to do a better job of counseling patients who are already infected about how to avoid spreading the virus, says Fineberg. Since every new infection begins with someone who is already infected, these people have great potential for preventing new infections.
Experts agree the best way to do that is to abstain from sex and drug use.
Short of that, the virus can also be kept at bay through condom use during sex and not sharing needles among drug users. However, increased counseling of infected patients, as well as counseling and screening for those at high risk of infection, will not occur until two things happen, Fineberg adds. The problem is that they are not routinely incorporated into practice because insurance reimbursement doesn't pay for it. Also, it hasn't been stressed how important this element of preventive care is to individuals and to the community. It requires a system to put it in place and to pay for it.