Breaking Barriers: New Era in HIV-Positive Organ Transplants

US health officials announced a new rule allowing HIV-positive to HIV-positive kidney and liver transplants beyond research studies. This change aims to increase organ availability and improve outcomes for HIV patients. Research supports the safety of this practice, which began in South Africa and was studied in the US.

US health officials have introduced a groundbreaking rule enabling kidney and liver transplants from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive recipients outside of research settings. This historic decision is set to broaden the pool of available organs, thus benefiting patients irrespective of their HIV status.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra emphasized that the rule effectively eliminates barriers, enhancing transplant accessibility and outcomes for individuals with HIV. Solid research, such as a notable study from the New England Journal of Medicine, underscores the safety of these procedures, revealing comparable survival rates between recipients of HIV-positive and HIV-negative donor organs.

While the concept emerged in South Africa in 2010, it wasn't embraced in the US until 2013 when restrictions were lifted. Since then, notable advancements, including the first living donor HIV-to-HIV kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins University in 2019, have paved the way for a total of 500 such transplants in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)