Cost-effectiveness of a community-level HIV risk reduction intervention

Objectives. The authors evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a community- level HIV prevention intervention that used peer leaders to endorse risk reduction among gay men. Methods. A mathematical model of HIV transmission was used to translate reported changes in sexual behavior into an estimate of the number of HIV infections averted. Results. The intervention cost $17 150, or about $65 000 per infection averted, and was therefore cost-saving, even under very conservative modeling assumptions. Conclusions. For this intervention, the cost of HIV prevention was more than offset by savings in averted future medical care costs. Community-level interventions to prevent HIV transmission that use existing social networks can be highly cost- effective.