Dec. 12--TRIAD -- Despite worldwide publicity, few people have asked about a new
HIV/AID preventive drug and what it can mean for them, according to Triad
health counselors.
Meanwhile, researchers say people should be cautious in considering
Truvada as research continues.
Daily doses of Truvada cut the risk of infection by 44 percent when given
with condoms, counseling and other prevention services, according to the
latest studies. Men who took their pills most faithfully had even more
protection, up to 73 percent.
"This is important," said Laura Bachmann, a HIV researcher and associate
professor of infectious diseases at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical
Center. "The research community is trying to look for additional strategies.
There is no cure for HIV/AIDS, and there is not one likely for the future."
AIDS drugs already are used to prevent infection in health care workers
and pregnant mothers accidentally exposed to HIV.
Gay and bisexual men account for nearly half of the more than 1 million
Americans living with HIV. Worldwide, more than 40 million people have the
virus, and 7,500 new infections occur each day. Guilford County has the third
highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the state with 1,700 cases.
"We have not been able to get below these numbers with the strategies we
have," Bachmann said.
Like many researchers, Bachmann urges caution in considering the new
treatment. "There will not be a magic bullet," she said. "This virus is
tricky. People should still practice safety."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is rushing to develop
guidelines for doctors considering Truvada for HIV prevention for patients
willing to pay for it.
But price could limit use. The pills cost from $5,000 to $14,000 a year
in the United States, but generic forms are much cheaper in other countries.
"We have had no calls from clients, and providers are taking a
wait-and-see attitude," said Kathy Norcott with Piedmont Health Services and
Sickle Cell Agency in High Point. "This pill is very expensive, and many
people have few ways to pay for it."
Whether insurers or government health programs should pay for Truvada has
not been sorted out, Norcott said.
"There needs to be follow-up studies for risk compensation, too,"
Bachmann said. "It has to be determined what happens if some stopped using
condoms, took the drug and got infected."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
dnivens@hpe.com -- 888-3626
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