A panel of experts has recommended federal approval of a drug proven to prevent HIV — the virus that causes AIDS.

The panel held two separate votes Thursday on recommending the drug Truvada for people at high risk of AIDS — one for gay and bisexual men and one for heterosexual couples where one person is HIV-positive.

Doctors already prescribe Truvada to AIDS patients as part of a drug cocktail.

The Food and Drug Administration is under no obligation to follow the panel's recommendation, but usually does.

While some doctors hail Truvada as a step towards the end of the AIDS epidemic, others say it could lead people to engage in risky sex by avoiding condoms.