USA: HIV prevention drug approved

Published July 21 2012 inSexual Health
stopwatch1 minutes read

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States, has approved the use of a drug called Truvada to prevent HIV.

 

The drug has been approved as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to help prevent people at a high risk of contracting the virus from catching it.  The FDA are promoting this alongside safe sex, counselling and regular HIV testing, and the FDA commissioner Margaret  Hamburg said: “Today’s approval marks an important milestone in our fight against HIV”.

PrEP is an important tool in fighting the spread of HIV, and may be of particular interest to couples where one partner is HIV+, particularly if they are trying to have a baby.

A clinical trial is starting in the UK this autumn to look at the effectiveness of PrEP and long term implications of its use.  The trial will be called PROUD, (Pre-exposure Option for Preventing HIV in the UK), and is a joint project between the Medical Research Council and the Health Protection Agency.

Better2Know offers confidential HIV testing with the fastest results available in all its nationwide clinics.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike has been delivering world class Sexually Transmitted Infections testing services to Better2Know patients around the world for over ten years. He has written extensively on the subject, including numerous blogs for Better2Know which are designed to demystify the complex intricacies of sexual health testing. Mike wants to help his readers understand the risks they take in their daily sexual lives and provide the information they need when choosing an STI or STD test in a clear, concise and understandable way. Mike is particularly interested in writing about viral STIs like HIV and Hepatitis, as these infections can have a devastating impact on people’s lives if they are not diagnosed quickly. Only through being well informed can you best care for your health, and Mike is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience to help you and all his readers lead a happier, healthier life.