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| Pre-exposure prophylaxis drug Truvada Getty Images (Justin Sullivan) |
'Pre-exposure prophylaxis' can prevent HIV before it's too late, and the Liberal Democrats want it available on the NHS
The Liberal Democrats will call for drugs that block the contraction of HIV to be made available on the NHS.
Advancements in ‘pre-exposure prophylaxis’ (PrEP)mean that individuals at risk of contracting HIV - principally gay men - can now take drugs that block the virus. Studies suggest that in the long term this not only prevents the spread of the disease but is also more cost-effective than retroviral treatment.
At the party’s Autumn Conference, which begins on Saturday, Liberal Democrat delegates will vote on a motion to call for the fast tracking of pre-exposure prophylaxis to be made available on the NHS for the most at-risk people.
In August a high court ruling in a case brought by the National Aids Trust concluded there was 'no legal barrier' preventing the NHS from making PrEP available for free.
There are currently over 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK. In 2014 there were 6,151 new HIV diagnoses.
Currently the preventative drug, Truvada, is only available privately, and costs £400 a month. Research by Public Health England estimated that the widespread availability of Truvada could prevent more than 7,000 infections annually by 2020.
In March of this year, NHS England said it would not provide acess to pre-exposure prophylaxis, and said that that HIV prevention services are the responsibility of local authorities.
But it did announce a two year study of its impact, with testing on 500 men.
A 2014 study by the Medical Research Council found Truvada was 86 per cent effective in preventing the contraction of HIV.
This article can be found on the Independent's Website, here.
Advancements in ‘pre-exposure prophylaxis’ (PrEP)mean that individuals at risk of contracting HIV - principally gay men - can now take drugs that block the virus. Studies suggest that in the long term this not only prevents the spread of the disease but is also more cost-effective than retroviral treatment.
At the party’s Autumn Conference, which begins on Saturday, Liberal Democrat delegates will vote on a motion to call for the fast tracking of pre-exposure prophylaxis to be made available on the NHS for the most at-risk people.
In August a high court ruling in a case brought by the National Aids Trust concluded there was 'no legal barrier' preventing the NHS from making PrEP available for free.
There are currently over 100,000 people living with HIV in the UK. In 2014 there were 6,151 new HIV diagnoses.
Currently the preventative drug, Truvada, is only available privately, and costs £400 a month. Research by Public Health England estimated that the widespread availability of Truvada could prevent more than 7,000 infections annually by 2020.
In March of this year, NHS England said it would not provide acess to pre-exposure prophylaxis, and said that that HIV prevention services are the responsibility of local authorities.
But it did announce a two year study of its impact, with testing on 500 men.
A 2014 study by the Medical Research Council found Truvada was 86 per cent effective in preventing the contraction of HIV.
This article can be found on the Independent's Website, here.
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