As per the CDC, pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is highly effective when it comes to preventing HIV if used as prescribed. However, the medication can be much less effective when not taken consistently. Daily PrEP can help reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90 per cent.
“I was in complete shock, as were my doctors, knowing the chances were extremely rare,” said Mr Spencer who is believed to be the seventh person globally to contract HIV while adhering to a PrEP regimen.
“What happened to me doesn’t change the fact that PrEP is still the most powerful HIV preventative we have ever had,” Mr Spencer, one of the first men in Australia to start taking the medication more than five years ago, was quoted as saying.
The report added that multiple international clinical trials have shown promising results indicating that PrEP can effectively prevent HIV transmission and roughly half a million people worldwide are taking the medication. Mr Spencer’s story has been chosen to share by the sexual health and gay community advocate in a bid to help prevent misinformation that could devalue the effectiveness of PrEP.
What happened to me doesn’t change the fact that PrEP is still the most powerful HIV preventative we have ever had. It is protecting hundreds of thousands of people from HIV in an empowering way, alongside effective treatment for people living with HIV,” Mr Spencer added.
According to Andrew Grulich, program head of HIV Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of NSW’s Kirby Institute, PrEP had been a ‘game-changer for HIV prevention in Australia, adding that the medication only works if it is taken correctly. In fact, Kirby Institute data showed that the number of people infected with HIV fell by almost one-third following the EPIC-NSW PrEP trial.
In the case of Mr Spencer, he started HIV treatment immediately after diagnoses and within six weeks he achieved an ‘undetectable viral load’, which means he cannot transmit HIV to anyone.
What is PrEP and who should take it?
PrEP is a course of HIV drugs taken by people who do not have the disease (but are at substantial risk) to prevent infection. Essentially, the blue pill The pill (brand name Truvada) contains two medicines -tenofovir and emtricitabine. These drugs are used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV.
The CDC claims that PrEP drug has the potential to keep the virus from establishing a permanent infection in people who are exposed to HIV through injection drug use or sex. If taken consistently, PrEP has been found to reduce the risk of HIV infection by up to 92% in individuals who are at high risk.
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