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HIV is one of those diseases that the scientific community is constantly trying to treat.
Except that there’s been an effective once-a-day HIV prevention pill around for three years now.
The strange thing is, you probably haven’t heard of it. This is because just 1% of patients who could benefit from this medication are using it. Only a third of primary care physicians and nurses know about it.
The medication is called Truvada, and it’s being called a “huge” step in the fight against AIDS. “It’s a highly effective tool and we really do need to get it out to the people who most need it, says Dr. Buchbinder, MD, of Bridge HIV. The treatment is also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
It’s a combination of two HIV drugs, emtricitabine and tenofovir. These two together block an enzyme needed for the virus to make copies of itself. When taken daily, the medication floods the mucosal membranes with HIV-fighting molecules. In turn, this prevents the virus from spreading through sexual contact, which in America is the biggest cause of HIV.
This drug is most useful for people at high risk of HIV due to their sexual activity or drug use. Someone with an HIV-positive partner could reduce their risk by 70-90% when they take Truvada as recommended.
The CDC believes that one in four sexually active men who have sex with other men could benefit from this drug, as well as one in five injection drug users and one in 200 sexually active heterosexual adults.
As for risks, experts have mostly found ways of preventing them.
“We talk about PrEP not being a lifelong preventative approach, but rather it’s used during what we call ‘seasons of risk,’” says Dr. Buchbinder. These “seasons” include when you’re dating an HIV-positive person, or adversely, when you’re newly single.
“The other big concern with this drug is really about kidney function,” says Dr. Buchbinder. “It can’t be taken by people who have pretty severly impaired kidney function, and also kidney function needs to be monitored over time.”
Another reason more people aren’t taking it is the price. A year’s worth of Truvada is $10,000. Not only that, but you need to get tested for HIV while on the drug every three months—those visits and costs add up as well. However, a lot of insurance will cover it.
And if you know you’re at risk, it may be worth it.
