9 September, 2015:

Researchers working on a new pill might just prevent the HIV virus to infect the humans.

‘Truvada’ is a daily pill which is known as an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). It is the first approved drug that reduces the risk of infection in uninfected individuals who may engage in sexual activity with HIV-infected partners.

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Currently working on 600 people who use the HIV prevention pill ‘Truvada’, researchers have just revealed their striking results. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when a person is exposed to HIV, two anti-retroviral medicines called tenofovir and emtricitabine, contained within the pill, work to keep the virus from establishing a permanent infection when taken constantly.

For the study of this new pill, a ‘Kaiser Permanente team’ in San Fransisco, tracked some 657 PrEP users, most of whom were gay men, over the course of 32 months. During the time, no new HIV infections were found among the study group despite the risk of sexually transmitting infections as well as reports of risky behaviours like drug injection and decreased condom use.

Though the researchers don’t know whether the participants took their pills regularly, the results were truly remarkable. Study leader Jonathan Volk of Kaiser Permanente San Fransisco Medical Center said, “This is very reassuring data. PrEP is just another line
of defence. I don’t think PrEP is right for everybody. But for the folks who need it, it works.”