Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC Updates Guidelines On Who Should Take HIV Prevention Drug Truvada
USA Today: A Daily Pill Can Prevent HIV Infection, But Few Take It
Although a daily pill can prevent HIV infection, very few people actually take it. About 1.2 million Americans are at high risk for HIV and could benefit from taking the pill, sold under the brand name Truvada, in a strategy that doctors call “pre-exposure prophylaxis,” or PrEP, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Studies in men who have sex with men show that taking PrEP reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 92%. Studies in injection drug users have found that PrEP reduced the risk of infection by more than 70%. Yet only about 21,000 people – less than 1% of those who could benefit – are taking PrEP, the CDC’s Jonathan Mermin said. (Szabo, 11/24)
The Washington Post: CDC On HIV Prevention Pill: How To Tell Whether You Should Be Taking The Medication
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is making a big push to get more people at "substantial" risk of getting HIV to start on a daily pill that has been shown to dramatically reduce their risk of infection. Known as PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis, the therapy involves taking a daily pill — Truvada — that makes it more difficult for the virus to establish a permanent infection when a person is exposed to it through sexual contact or injectable drug use. Studies have shown that it can reduce risk by 70 to more than 90 percent. (Cha, 11/24)
