'Game changer' HIV drug cuts infection risk by 86%

Conclusion The results of this unpublished study were presented at a conference in Seattle and have been reported by the Medical Research Council, who helped fund it. As it has not been published, some important details are not yet known, such as: The researchers report that there was "high adherence" to taking the medication, but it is not known how regularly it was taken, or how many people stopped taking it and why. No details have been provided about any side effects experienced on the medication. The incidence of STIs was used to determine whether taking Truvada changed sexual risk-taking behaviour. It is currently unclear which STIs were compared between the two groups. Three common STIs are viral (genital herpes, genital warts and human papilloma virus), so it is possible that the Truvada reduced their incidence in addition to HIV. This could be an added bonus, but we will need to await publication of the study to look at this. A limitation of the study is the amount of contact the participants had with the sexual health clinics. They were asked to fill out monthly questionnaires and attend a clinic every three months. It is possible this frequent contact with services caused this particular group to be more aware of the risks of HIV infection. The researchers plan to submit the study to a peer-reviewed journal in April. In the meantime, they are working with a range of stakeholders to determine whether a PrEP service could be commissioned ac...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Medication Source Type: news