Here's a quick summary of what appears below:

• CDC releases paper about using testing, treatment, and PrEP to reduce new HIV infections
• Advocate runs story about CDC paper highlighting PrEP
• POZ reports on study of first case of man on PrEP contracting HIV

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The CDC had this press release last week: As many as 185,000 new HIV infections in the U.S. could be prevented by expanding testing, treatment, PrEP.

This was picked up by the Advocate as CDC: PrEP Will Help Reduce HIV Infections by (at Least) 70 Percent, which is a bit different emphasis.

This was at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Boston where a paper was presented with four different scenarios of how the US might fair in achieving prevention and treatment goals by 2020. When I look at the press release in detail, I see this:

The graphic of the four scenarios shows that the larger possible gains are through testing and treatment.

click on the image for larger view


It appears that the Advocate piece has spun this somewhat out of context. I believe PrEP makes great sense for HIV- men who have sex with other men; however, highlighting the 70% figure and the phrasing of their headline is a bit much.

Separately, POZ tells us PrEP Fails in Gay Man Adhering to Daily Truvada, He Contracts Drug-Resistant HIV.

Summarizing the story, researchers discovered the first case of an HIV- man who was taking Truvada daily as he should, had multiple instances of unprotected receptive anal sex, and developed HIV.

The man in this case is currently doing well on HIV treatment with a fully suppressed viral load.

Also from the piece, with Richard Harrigan, PhD, director of the lab program at the British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver:

Although I'm in fact HIV-, I personally have been sexually abstinent for the last couple years due to personal circumstances. (How ironic that I run this web site...) If things were different, I would certainly get a Truvada prescription from my doctor.

As I've said before many times, I believe each person's sex life and health practices are a matter of individual choice based on making informed decisions. Your circumstances, life situations, and risk tolerance are different from mine. Therefore, I don't give advice but I do have some responsibility to members and guests of this site to help provide information.

You're free to make your own decisions, but I hope you'll stay aware of new developments that can affect what you and others do. Please feel free to add your own thoughts. I'm also going to add a link to this discussion on the CFS Home Page.

~ Bob S.

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From: Resistance to key HIV drug "concerningly common"

PrEP won't be effective forever either, folks. So far, latex still seems to be working.

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I completely agree with Bob when he writes that

I also think that Pike has just hit the nail on the head, too.

A simple, totally inexpensive or even completely free thing such as the commonest condom has proven to significantly reduce the risk of seroconversion. I imagine that few guys may be allergic to latex. But I cannot quite think of any other serious, possibly life changing side effects associated with using condoms.

When you come to compare the complex costs and risks associated with both the PrEP and possibly the ensuing retroviral therapy vs. the good, ole latex...

My only hope is that each and everyone of us here may reach a personal decision that he may never regret.

KD

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I remember so many friends who dealt (and deal) with drug toxicities and then having to change from one drug to another. Makes me think of this song which actually was from 1983:

Huey Lewis And The News - I Want A New Drug

My housemate (former partner) is lucky to have been stable on Kaletra for years, not so lucky with his other health matters.

~ Bob

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I'll reiterate one more thing. This actually is one of my rare pieces of advice: If you don't know your status or your last HIV test was not recent, get tested. Testing is knowledge. Knowledge is power.

Our doctor's caseload is primarily middle-aged or older Anglo (I mean White, for those who didn't live in South Texas in their youth) gays and somewhat younger Blacks and Latinos, a few older, of any sexual orientation. The highest rate of new infections in the US is among minorities.

I suspect members of those groups might not be reading this Message Board that much, but it's where the need is greatest.

~ Bob

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Although ANY step forward in dealing with this disease is very welcome - with new drugs and treatments with little long term history or study - you never know what side effects may be found down the road.

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