ABSTRACT
An estimated 1.6 million new HIV infections occurred in 2012 in sub-Saharan Africa (1); highlighting the need for continued investments in HIV treatment and prevention efforts. With an HIV prevalence of about 18; South Africa (RSA) remains a particularly affected country; despite sustained investments in HIV control programs such as expansion of antiretroviral therapy (ART). In recent years; scientific innovations in HIV control have expanded the range of available interventions - male circumcision; topical microbicides; oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and treatment as prevention (TasP) have all sparked significant interest due to their potential effectiveness (ART reduces HIV transmission by up to 96; PrEP by more than 60) and versatility (circumcision is effective without additional actions required from the person; PrEP is meant for use by uninfected individuals; ART is given to infected individuals). While all these options are potentially available; resources remain limited and choosing which interventions to implement at scale is a difficult task; given the complex nature of disease transmission; the impact of behaviour in epidemic dynamics (number of partners; rates of condom use; adherence to treatment/prevention regimens); and the different costs of these programs