The Facts, Warnings and Info You Should Know about Pre-Exposure Treatments for HIV

Over the past couple weeks, there has been much news coverage regarding newly-released clinical trial results regarding use of Truvada for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV transmission among gay/bisexual men.

Already, some are calling Truvada the “AIDS Wonder Drug.”  And many are jumping to unwarranted and over-simplified conclusions about the application of this study for sexual behaviors.

We certainly welcome every possible mechanism to reduce or prevent HIV transmission.  However, we cannot jump to conclusions about this being a silver bullet.   In addition to the limitations of Truvada’s effectiveness (see additional resources listed below), there are other considerations.  For example, what insurers, if any, will cover the costs of Truvada—roughly $7,000 to $8,000 per year—for pre-exposure use (as opposed to post-infection)?

We urge you to read further information from the CDC regarding this topic.  Below, you will find links to the CDC's factsheet as well as a letter released on the subject.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV Prevention: Promoting Safe and Effective Use in the United States Factsheet

CDC Letter Regarding the recently released clinical trials