Daily pill reduces HIV risk by 90%

UNITED KINGDOM – A daily pill can reduce the risk of getting HIV by almost 90 per cent, according to “game-changing” research that has prompted calls for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK to make the drug available to gay men.

A report by The Times (UK) newspaper says that a study of British men showed that they were willing to take the pill, which did not appear to encourage unsafe sex.

Thousands could now be offered Truvada, which experts have likened to the contraceptive pill in giving people greater control over their sex lives. NHS chiefs are now deciding whether to offer the drug, which costs about £5,000 a year.

Campaigners since last year in October have been urging the NHS to act urgently to ensure the medication – which has been approved for use in the United States since 2012 – is offered to the most vulnerable groups as soon as possible.

Previous studies have found that if taken consistently Truvada can prevent infection in nine out of 10 cases – potentially saving the NHS millions of pounds each year in long-term treatment.

Last year 6,000 people were diagnosed with the condition – more than half of whom are gay or bisexual men. It is estimated that nearly 100,000 people in the UK are currently living with HIV with a fifth of those believed to be undiagnosed.