The study of the interaction between humans and HIV is a complex one. HIV is a disease with stigma and fear associated with it. Educating people and communities about HIV and the advances in treatment and in prevention is core to helping communities grow and cope with HIV in our society. Part of this is helping medical professionals understand the social and emotional tools needed to communicate with HIV positive people and their families and communities. The other part is communicating treatment and health practices to patients and the community.
In order to fight HIV, the whole patient and their environment need to be taken into consideration. This means that secondary conditions which are associated with, or exacerbated by HIV need to be researched, and treatment protocols and systems developed to help alleviate these conditions. The DRILL Research focusing on HIV will include looking at the whole patient, rather than just researching better ways to treat HIV. As HIV positive people become longer lived and asymptomatic, their quality of life can be improved by better healthcare and treatment.