Medics now have additional
ammunition in their war chest
against HIV/AIDS and a potent
one it is. The American Food
and Drug Administration (FDA)
recently approved a drug
treatment that will prevent HIV
infection in previously
uninfected people.
The drug which is marketed as
Truvada, had already been
approved for the treatment of
HIV in infected persons. It
works by lowering the amount
of virus circulating in people’s
blood. Clinical trials conducted
showed that it can also protect
uninfected high-risk (both
homo and hetero-sexual)
people from acquiring the
virus, if they take the drug
daily before and after sexual
exposure.
Some public health experts
argue that allowing the drug to
be used for prevention will
foster a false sense of security
among users, leading people to
believe mistakenly that they
are immune to the virus and
reduce their use of condoms.
However, the FDA determined
that the benefits of expanding
the pool of people who may use
Truvada to protect against HIV
made it worth approving.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who can take Truvada?
The drug, made by Gilead
Sciences Inc., is approved for
healthy, uninfected people who
are at high risk of contracting
HIV through sex. These include
sex workers and people with
partners who are HIV-positive
or engage in high-risk
behaviors, such as using IV
drugs.
How effective is the drug in
preventing HIV?
In one study, healthy gay and
bisexual men who took Truvada
daily and were counseled about
safe sex practices lowered their
risk of becoming infected by up
to 42%. In another study
involving heterosexual couples
in which one partner was HIV-
positive, the uninfected partner
had a 75% lower risk of
contracting HIV if they took
Truvada.
Does Truvada cure AIDS?
No. The drug can treat people
who are infected with HIV by
lowering the amount of virus in
their bodies and slowing down
the progression of the disease.
In healthy, uninfected people,
the drug can thwart HIV’s
ability to take hold in healthy
cells and start an infection, by
blocking the activity of an
enzyme that the virus needs to
replicate.
Why is the approval
important?
Approving a drug to prevent
HIV marks a big step toward
controlling the spread of HIV
and AIDS worldwideaBOUT
tRUVADA. Once Truvada is used
as a preventive measure
domestically, U.S.-backed AIDS
programs in the developing
world may also begin to roll out
the pill for healthy people who
are at high risk of contracting
HIV. Public health experts are
eager to build up all effective
prevention strategies, noting
that the only way to stop the
epidemic is by preventing new
infections as well as treating
existing ones.
"Always use protection while having sex"
-Toboa siri
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