PrEP, an HIV prevention treatment still unknown



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The Aides Association has launched a national campaign to inform and promote PrEP, a preventative treatment against HIV. It is now little known and is intended for people particularly vulnerable to the AIDS virus.

"PrEP: one tablet a day protects you from HIV". This slogan marks the new national information campaign of the badociation Aides which began Wednesday, July 4 in the most important cities of France. Heterobadual and homobadual couples on a black and white background urge to use PrEP, a preventive treatment against HIV

"This treatment is not as well known.We did this campaign because public authorities do not The consequence was that its use was limited to the only gay community, "says Antoine Henry, the communications manager of Aids

" Last night, in the subway! Grande @bado AIDES for this beautiful and necessary campaign with the #EPEP "

Issued by medical prescription, PrEP is fully covered by the Social Security

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is marketed for 18 months, but only 7,000 people in France use it. Truvada or generic drugs are produced by three laboratories: Santoz (Switzerland), Teva Health (France) and Gilead (United States).

"It is an instrument of prevention for HIV-negative people belonging to groups of populations particularly exposed to the virus: men who have bad with other men, homobaduals, bibaduals, heterobaduals curious and migrants, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa, where there are highly endemic countries, "describes Antoine Henry

. issued by medical prescription is fully covered by social security. According to Aides, this is also a great alternative for people who have difficulty using condoms: "They are very interested in using PrEP because it provides them with detailed medical care and is not contaminated."


"(…) if you have unprotected badual intercourse and you are exposed to the virus, you will be sure not to be contaminated"

Indeed, PrEP has proven its efficiency. In San Francisco, the number of new HIV cases dropped by 49% between 2012 (when it was approved in the US) and 2016. In the UK, the number also decreases by 18% between 2015 and 2016 If the treatment is used well, it offers HIV protection similar to that of condoms with minimal risk of infection.

"It's the same principle as the contraceptive pill.Take it every day, even if you have unprotected bad and you're exposed to the virus, you'll be sure you're not contaminated," he says. explains Antoine Henry. "However, this treatment requires a medical prescription, monitoring and regular screening."

For this new Aides campaign, smiling and safe couples are shown with great visibility. Perhaps a risk of making believe that AIDS is no longer as dangerous as before and diverting the condom population? "This idea that promoting other means of protection that the condom trivializes the epidemic is understandable, but false. No study today can say that there is a decompensated risk, "says Antoine Henry," in fact, people who take PrEP already have difficulties with condoms in their relationships.

As Aides also points out, PrEP protects against HIV, but not against other STIs (badually transmitted infections). Conventional protections are still needed to treat gonorrhea, condyloma (related to papilloma virus), chlamydia, hepatitis A, B and C, syphilis, etc. PrEP is unable to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. Treatment is contraindicated for HIV-positive people.

According to the World Health Organization, some 37 million people are living with HIV or AIDS. The disease has killed about 35 million of the 80 million it has infected since its first diagnosis in the early 1980s. Despite all the awareness campaigns, new HIV infections are still numerous and affect more than one person. million people. people every year around the world.

First modification: 07/10/2018

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