The HIV pandemic seems to be fading to some degree-but there are regional exceptions. The current liberal prevention strategy with programs aimed at risk reduction interventions in particular for sexual behavior and injecting drug use has been expanded by antiretroviral treatment approaches. It was expected to keep the prevalence of infectious individuals below a certain threshold to curb self-sustaining chains of HIV infections. The introduction of biomedical approaches by ART/HAART with regard to practicing risk reduction behavior has been received as an exemption of responsibility by certain populations who are defined as "at-risk" population. Certain parts of the hard-to-reach, high-risk population have returned to unsafe sex practices leading to careless behavior which in turn has promoted the spread of HIV. This is supported by modern trends in risk societies where with regard to HIV basic principles of ethics and tenets of the Human Rights like "don't harm other people" have lost any normative power. In addition, with the support of NGOs, legal norms such as protecting the "bodily integrity of individuals" have been ignored, allowing the "passing of HIV to partners" to become socially acceptable behavior. As a whole, in defiance of the endeavors of prevention applied so far, certain societies are exposed to an ongoing spread of HIV.

Abstract:The new prevalence data regarding the estimated global number of human immunodeficiency virus positive (HIV + ) cases, i.e., including people who are either aware or unaware of their HIV infection in 2010, lead many to wonder why the increase in incidence has reached today's unprecedented level and escalated within such a short time. This, in spite of prevention campaigns in countries affected by HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) with their urgent messages aimed at preventing HIV transmission by promoting changes in individual's behavior. This article analyzes the background of the prevention strategies, in particular their political, social and legal concepts in terms of human rights, and reveals traits of human behavior not considered thus far. A radical reappraisal is necessary, at social and legislative levels, as well as options additional to current concepts. When ethical issues come up, they become blamed for outmoded moralistic positions. However, ignoring the reality has led to dire consequences from prioritizing individual human rights over society's collective need to prevent the spread of HIV.

The ongoing spread of HIV after sobering news about the goal "End of AIDS" is not encouraging, apart from regional differences. We focus on the consequences of the two essentially failed HIV prevention strategies in certain countries. The first failed because the correct messages concerning preventive behavior did not reach the required levels of target populations to interrupt HIV infection chains. There was a lack of appropriate framework conditions for the target populations to engage in the required scale. The additional biomedical strategy "Treatment as Prevention" didn't achieve the breakthrough as was hoped. The consequences thereof affect the financial burden on societies, which can take several decades. We draw attention to the unbalanced principles of proportionality to which governments are committed, but which are practiced in favor of those vulnerable people; these people abuse their autonomy and contribute to the further spread of HIV at the expense of financial burdens, social and medical care systems; this behavior is tolerated, although the transmission of HIV is mostly preventable. We point to extreme tendencies, such as the chem-sex settings, whose unswayable participants engage in indirect violence against the societies. Another possible consequence of the still uncontrolled spread of HIV is the potential for HIV to increase its virulence.

This article focuses on emerging trends conflicting current HIV prevention concepts. We address developments in Europe where similar HIV prevention strategies are applied. With epidemiological, time-staggered records from a European institution, we show how ineffective HIV prevention measures have turned out. The decision-makers responsible for these prevention concepts have ignored a multitude of individual motivations from people responsible for the spread of HIV. Both the legal classification of the messages of the prevention campaigns and the obligations of those affected by HIV concerning their social responsibility are analyzed. There are published requirements for updated, multisectoral prevention campaigns. They focus on the intensification of HIV testing concepts to reduce the proportion of late presenters and to link key populations of various kinds to medical and social care services. Four categories present relevant issues with the potential to combine them into suitable arrangements for new prevention concepts.

This article addresses issues regarding the transmission of HIV; without the combination antiretroviral treatment (cART), HIV causes a fatal outcome of those infected in most cases. First, legal issues: For years, controversial discussions have dealt with the subject of the legal classification of HIV infection, such as "… criminalization of HIV exposure might limit access to and uptake of HIV prevention services…" Based on the rule of law of a constitutional state, we explain the legal principles that serve to protect the legal rights of its citizens. The state has to protect its citizens from harm by other people. The prosecution and conviction of a specific person for a proven HIV infection are legal. Therefore, general decriminalization of HIV infection would undermine the right of thereby harmed citizens to compensation. Second, HIV prevention strategies: Based on the Test and Treatment Strategy (TASP) 1 , controlled studies were undertaken to find out which framework conditions could improve their benefit. We outline concepts that can help to curb the still ongoing spread of HIV: By providing early HIV diagnosis and ongoing HIV care services as part of updated education and prevention campaigns. Also, concerted, comprehensive campaigns are required to demonstrate further impacts of HIV infection: Both on the quality of life of infected individuals due to the development of non-communicable diseases and the increasing burden to societies as a whole.

Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar.

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The trading of illicit and falsified pharmaceuticals is a growth market. Factors influencing this illegal market are high profit margins, a low risk of detection, low control density, an obscure legal situation, and lastly, the easy and anonymous ways of selling over the Internet, usually across national borders. This situation was the background for the research project on the impact of European e‑commerce liberalisation on pharmaceutical crime (ALPhA). The goal of the project was to develop concrete recommendations for action regarding the improved prosecution of internet-based pharmaceutical crime and to create a broad body of data for effective law-making by legislators.In this article the initial situation regarding pharmaceutical crime and its risk potential is described and some of the results from the comparative-law investigation of the ALPhA research project are presented along with its final recommendations. The latter are directed at policy-makers and law enforcement agencies in addition to industry and science and demonstrate the type of framework to be designed to increase safety for the public and to minimize risks when purchasing pharmaceuticals.