"Bundling" HIV prevention: integrating services to promote synergistic gain.

BACKGROUND

Bundling is defined as the aggregation of services to increase effectiveness (i.e., creating synergy of effort). The purpose of this commentary is to review the utilization and potential benefits of bundling in its application to HIV prevention.

METHODS

Review of the literature to provide a broad perspective on the concept of bundling and specific examples of bundling in HIV prevention. Benefits, challenges and directions are considered.

RESULTS

To be effective, bundling must offer strategic advantage: greater value, less cost. It provides an opportunity to target multiple risk behaviors simultaneously for synergistic gain. Technological advances including rapid HIV tests permit noninvasive sampling in clinical and non-clinical settings. Bundling of HIV prevention provides an opportunity to reach high-risk persons who are asymptomatic and/or may not otherwise seek care by eliminating barriers to prevention.

CONCLUSIONS

We must implement programs that work and consider innovative approaches to stem the AIDS epidemic; bundling provides one such opportunity to create an efficient paradigm targeting multiple risk behaviors simultaneously.