Tag: PrEP

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Report: Another Man Diagnosed With HIV While Taking PrEP

Health officials in Washington State report a local man has been diagnosed with HIV while taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

The Seattle & King County’s Public Health Department reports the unnamed man was infected with a rare strain of HIV resistant to the medications in Truvada, the drug’s commercial name.

No details are available on whether he took the medication regularly.

If taken correctly, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV by up to 99%.

From OutBreakNewsToday:

Truvada as HIV PrEP is very effective if taken consistently. It reduces the risk of acquiring HIV through sex by over 90%, and perhaps by over 95%. It is also more than 70% effective in preventing HIV infections transmitted through sharing injection equipment. So while it is very effective, like many drugs, it is not 100% effective.

There have been very few reports of HIV infections while taking PrEP.

An Australian man participating in a PrEP clinical trial became infected in 2017 with a drug-resistant strain of HIV.

Also last year, a Dutch man was diagnosed with HIV but doctors there speculate that his “remarkably high” number of sex partners might have been a factor in his infection.

The Centers for Disease Control recommended in 2015 that sexually active gay and bisexual men, or about one in four, be on PrEP.

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New York City: HIV Diagnoses Drop To Historic Low

The New York City Department of Health has released a new study that shows new HIV diagnoses have dropped to the lowest rate in the city’s history.

The report shows that 2,279 people were diagnosed with the virus in 2016, down 8.6% from 2015.

The department first began tracking HIV statistics in 2001 which saw 5,906 new infections.

Researchers credit the decline in great part to the spread of preventative drug PrEP. The drug is available for low or no cost at the city’s eight health clinics.

At the beginning of 2016 only 5% of men having sex with men were using the drug. But by the end of the year, that figure jumped to 30%.

“The technology has landed, and implementation is moving quickly,” Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the Health Department’s Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control, told Jezebel. “Finally we’re seeing that the curve of decline is statistically significant. I think this is a harbinger of really good things to come.”

It’s not all good news though. The report also showed a slight increase in new diagnoses for women, particularly black and Latina women.

Daskalakis told Jezebel, “We’re going to really energize our next campaign to be very, very women focused. We need to better with women, and so we will.”

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News Round-Up: March 9, 2018

(via Instagram)

Some news stories you might have missed:

• This is what happens (above) when you actually work out. #ThenTheresMe

• Outsports will host its third annual Pride celebration in New York City, June 21-24, 2018. The event will bring together LGBTQ athletes, coaches, sports executives, members of the media and fans for a weekend of “the celebration of courage.”

• More and more gay men are using PrEP to prevent HIV infection but wide ethnic and racial disparities persist in its use.

• Republican senators have reintroduced the First Amendment Defense Act which would give the federal government’s blessing to discriminate against LGBT people and others in the name of religious beliefs.

• Fox News invited a comedian cowboy on air to proclaim “The worst thing you can be today in America is a white, heterosexual, Christian Male.” #OhReally

• Whitney, Kevin Macdonald’s documentary about the life and career of Whitney Houston, will be released July 6 in the United States.

• UK singer/songwriter Calum Scott’s debut album Only Human is out today and available to download/stream at all digital providers. You can check out my previous posts about the awesomely talented Mr. Scott here.

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New York State Will Investigate Claims That Insurance Companies Denied Healthy Gay Men Coverage

According to reports, some insurance companies appear to be denying insurance policies to gay men who admit to taking medication that protects them from HIV infection.

Wait – what? These are healthy guys who are taking preventative steps to avoid HIV infection and insurance companies are holding it against them?

Not only is that not cool, it’s also probably illegal.

From The New York Times:

Such denials would amount to illegal discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the companies doing so could be penalized, said Maria T. Vullo, the state’s superintendent of financial services.

The investigation was triggered by an article published Tuesday by The New York Times, she said.

The Times reported that various insurers around the country had denied policies to gay men after learning they took Truvada, a cocktail of two anti-AIDS drugs, to avoid catching H.I.V. through sex. To get insurance, some men even stopped taking the protective drugs.

The practice — known as “pre-exposure prophylaxis,” or PrEP — is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies have shown that people who take the drug every day have nearly a zero chance of becoming infected, even if they are in a long relationship with an H.I.V.-infected person or have sex with many strangers without condoms.

The investigation was prompted by another story in the NY Times about a doctor who couldn’t get disability insurance because he admitted to taking PrEP.

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News Round-Up: January 16, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• George Michael made secret donations to Project Angel Food in Los Angeles totaling more than $650,000 after the death of his partner to HIV-related causes in 1993.

• The state of Florida will offer HIV prevention treatment PrEP for free statewide by the end of 2018. Continue reading “News Round-Up: January 16, 2018”

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FDA Approves First Generic Of Truvada

From Drug Store News:

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday announced its approval of Teva’s abbreviated new drug application the first generic of Gilead’s Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil).

The drug is indicated both as a treatment for HIV-1 in combination with other antiretroviral drugs and for pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent sexually acquired HIV infection in combination with safer sex practices.

What’s not clear at this point is whether Gilead will continue their medication assistance program, which provides PrEP for a large number of individuals who don’t have insurance, once this gets approved.

According to reports, Truvada ranks 17th in the top 20 meds in the U.S.

(h/t Randy Report reader Aaron)

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News Round-Up: December 8, 2015

(pic by Katie Byran)

Some news stories you may have missed:

• Two straight BFFs pose for most excellent pics as groom and best man in preparation for upcoming wedding.

• You know you’ve gone too far, Mr. Donald Trump, when you lose ultra-conservative pundit Ben Shapiro.

• HIV diagnoses in the USA drop by 19% from 2005 to 2014, but more work lies ahead.

• Legendary LGBT activists call for an end to “profiteering” and “abusive pricing” on PrEP

• And just one more look at those two straight besties  who have no trouble being who they are… 🙂

(pic by Katie Byram)
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Study: No Men On PrEP Contracted HIV Over 32 Months

A new study by Kaiser Permanente published in Clinical Infectious Diseases shows that over a 32 month period exactly zero men, out of 600 participants  who took Truvada on a daily basis, contracted HIV.

Zero.

Via Gay.net:

“Our study is the first to extend the understanding of the use of PrEP in a real-world setting and suggests that the treatment may prevent new HIV infections even in a high-risk setting,” he said in a press release. “Until now, evidence supporting the efficacy of PrEP to prevent HIV infection had come from clinical trials and a demonstration project.”

However, 30 percent of participants did contract at least one sexually transmitted infection within six months of the study’s commencement. This number jumped to 50 percent after one year.

In addition, 41 percent of participants reported a decrease in condom use, in contrast to the 56 percent who said their use of condoms remained unchanged throughout the study.

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Assurant Health Will End PrEP Coverage

Although Truvada is approved by the FDA and endorsed by the CDC, one health insurer says they will no longer cover the prescription drug.

Assurant Health, a national company specializing in health insurance coverage for individuals and small businesses, will no longer cover the med Truvada as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent contracting HIV.

Several Assurant customers who had been taking Truvada (comprising the antiretrovirals tenofovir and emtricitabine) as PrEP were recently notified that the insurer would end coverage of the med in July. “Prophylactic treatment is not a covered benefit as listed in the Exclusion Section of your member contract,” read one customer’s notice (see below).

“As a courtesy we will allow two additional months of prescription coverage for your Truvada prescription. This means you will continue to receive prescription drug card benefits for Truvada at CVSC Specialty Pharmacy until July 1, 2015.”

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New York City Launches PrEP Campaign Via Dating Apps

The New York City Health Department has begun a campaign for anti-HIV medication Truvada via social media to promote the use of the drug in order to lower risk of infections.

Originally intended to treat HIV+ folks, in 2012 the drug was approved as a preventative option for gay men who may be more at risk for infection due to inconsistent use of condoms. Studies have shown the drug to be 90% effective against new infections when used on a daily basis.

However, not everyone is thrilled with the preventative use of the medication.

Some AIDS activists, including an older generation that saw the disease’s devastating toll before lifesaving drugs were introduced, are among PrEP’s most ardent foes.

Larry Kramer, the playwright and a hero of the movement, caused a stir in May when he called PrEP users “cowardly” and questioned why anyone would choose to “poison” oneself with antivirals like PrEP instead of simply using condoms.

A stigma persists that Truvada is a “party pill” — an attitude shared by some doctors who scold patients about their sexual practices and won’t prescribe it, said Anthony Hayes, a spokesman for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, which backs PrEP. The journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that 74 percent of surveyed clinicians back PrEP, yet only 9 percent had prescribed it.

The city’s PrEP push is misguided, said Michael Weinstein, head of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which serves 200,000 patients globally.

“The first order of business in medical ethics is ‘do no harm,’ and what the New York City Health Department’s doing is doing harm, because there are people who are going to take this drug intermittently, who are going to think they’re protected, who are going to not be protected,” Weinstein said.

PrEP critics say users who fail to take the pill daily could still risk HIV infection. Weinstein fears the therapy encourages condomless sex and thus the danger of other sexually transmitted infections. Potential side effects include kidney and bone problems.

NYC is spending $500,000 promoting the medication with outreach to physicians and ad campaigns through social media and dating apps like Grindr and Scruff.