Doctors call for wider use of drug that can prevent HIV infection

published on July 20, 2015 by Pamela Fayerman, in The Vancouver Sun

But some question whether prescribing it for high-risk sex will increase number of sexually transmitted diseases

International HIV/AIDS experts meeting in Vancouver are calling for wider use of a drug that can prevent HIV infection among those who engage in high-risk sex and are not infected with the virus.

But there are unanswered questions about the one-pill-a-day preventive treatment, including who should pay and whether broad use of it could fuel a surge in already-rampant levels of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.

Dr. Julio Montaner, head of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, said in an interview he’s not pushing for taxpayer-funded coverage of the preventive treatment ($850 a month) until more research is done. He made the remarks after a news conference during the International AIDS Society conference about the latest research on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The pills contain two of the three antiretroviral drugs that HIV patients take to suppress the virus to undetectable levels. When taken as a prevention method by HIV-negative patients, the PrEP medications act as a barrier, preventing HIV transmission to HIV-negative individuals.

Although Health Canada has not approved the drug, called Truvada, for HIV prevention in virus-negative patients, some Canadian doctors already prescribe it “off-label” to HIV-negative men engaging in high-risk (no condom) sex. Such individuals must pay for it out of pocket unless they have private insurance that covers the costs.

Montaner said he worries about whether promiscuity and complacency will develop in some people if they think they can have unprotected sex without worrying about unintended consequences.

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Julio Montaner

BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

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Doctors call for wider use of drug that can prevent HIV infection

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