In the U.S., 1.2 million people are living with HIV and almost 1 in 8 people that are infected are unaware they have it. Truvada is a pill that is used to prevent HIV and it was approved by the FDA in 2012. A recent study confirms that the HIV prevention drug is 100% effective, which is groundbreaking.
LIKE DailyVitamina.com on Facebook! Get Your Daily Vitamin…FOR LIFE!
The study used patients at high risk of getting HIV; these include people that are gay, homosexual and men having sex with men. The study was published in the journal of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The pill is for people who do not have the virus yet, but that are at risk of getting it if they don’t take the necessary precautions. The study was conducted for 2.5 years and none of the 657 participants became infected with HIV, which confirms that Truvada can effectively prevent someone from contracting the disease. The pill prevents HIV cells from multiplying throughout the body.
There are some side effects of the drug, which can affect people’s kidneys and liver function, as well as decrease bone marrow density, which leads to osteoporosis. These side effects can be reversible over time or when you stop taking the medication. Another downside of the drug is that it is very expensive, ranging from $1500 to $2,000 a month.
Critics say the drug encourages people to have unsafe sex and the study confirms this because even though participants showed no HIV infections, half of them did show new , which means they were not practicing safe sex. Many of the patients said they were no longer using condoms because of the drug.
Even though the drug can prevent people from getting HIV, it’s important to keep in mind that there are other things that can keep you healthy and prevent you from getting infected with HIV or other STI’s. The Center for Disease Control recommends the following:
- Get tested and know your partner’s HIV status. Talk to your partner about HIV testing and get tested before you have sex.
- Have less risky sex. Oral sex is much less risky than anal or vaginal sex. Anal sex is the most risky type of sex for the spread of HIV.
- Use condoms. Use a condom every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
- Limit your number of sexual partners. If you have more than one sexual partner, get tested for HIV regularly. Get tested and treated for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and insist that your partners do, too. Having an STI can increase your risk of becoming infected with HIV.
- Talk to your health care provider about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is an HIV prevention method that involves taking an HIV medicine every day. PrEP is intended for people who don’t have HIV but who are at high risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection. PrEP should always be combined with other prevention methods, including condom use.
- Don’t inject drugs. But if you do, use only sterile drug injection equipment and water and never share your equipment with others.
NEXT: Aggressive Form of HIV in Cuba Can Lead to AIDS in As Little As 3 Years