SCOTLAND has become the first part of the UK to fund “stunningly effective” drugs used to prevent HIV. The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) approved the treatment yesterday, delighting campaigners who have been pushing for it to be made available.
PrEP, short for Pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a course of a drug called Truvada which can dramatically reduce the chances of HIV transmission.
A study at University College London’s clinical trials unit said PrEP reduced the risk of HIV infection by 86 per cent for gay men.
SMC chairman Dr Alan MacDonald said the drug “when used together with safer sex practices may help to reduce the spread of HIV, which is an ongoing priority for the Scottish Government”.
Charities HIV Scotland, the Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland, Waverley Care and NAT (National Aids Trust) had joined together to campaign for the drug to be made available in the PrEP4Scotland Coalition.
A statement from the group said: “We applaud the SMC for taking this bold step to tackling HIV in Scotland. PrEP provides opportunities to reinvigorate how people at higher risk of HIV exposure engage with testing and prevention opportunities, and it is a vital opportunity to make a real reduction in the number of new HIV transmissions.”
George Valiotis, chief executive of HIV Scotland, added that the drug will be “an essential addition to Scotland’s HIV prevention approach”.
Writing in the Huffington Post, Terrence Higgins CEO Ian Green praised the SMC. He said “In one fell swoop, Scotland has leapt ahead of the rest of the UK in terms of its approach to ending the HIV epidemic. PrEP is a game-changing and stunningly effective HIV prevention treatment. It is taken before exposure to HIV to prevent infection, and has been shown to be nearly 100 per cent effective when taken correctly.
“By delivering this treatment on the NHS to those most at risk – and combining it with other vital tools in our HIV prevention armoury, such as condom use, regular testing, and early diagnosis and treatment – this could mark the beginning of the end for HIV transmission in Scotland.”
Gordon Garioch, 53, from Aberdeen, is currently taking a generic version of the drug which he buys online.
He said: “For me PrEP is a reassurance – I used to worry all the time. I have always been cautious, but some of my friends have been cautious and got HIV.
“Taking PrEP has allowed me to take control of my sexual health, and therefore both my physical and mental health. I feel by taking PrEP I am being responsible toward myself, but also toward my sexual partners.”
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