At a conference earlier this month in San Diego, researchers staged a mock debate to discuss pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a potential new form of HIV prevention that would use existing HIV antiretroviral medications before sexual intercourse to prevent transmission (ebar.com, 10/18).
The debate—which played out in front of an audience of thousands at the annual meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America—was between Robert Grant, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and Ward Cates, president of Family Health International. While both support PrEP, Grant took a pro-stance, while Cates played the role of critic.
“People like sex,” said Grant. “People are sex connoisseurs, they like their sex just so. Other prevention concepts have not worked because people don’t use them because they alter sex in some way that people care about.”
Grant also pointed out the success that HIV medications such as Truvada have had success in suppressing transmission from mother to child and in couples trying to conceive.
Playing devil’s advocate, Cates warned that while laboratory tests in monkeys have yielded impressive results, there is very little human data on PrEP, and that HIV drugs for negative people may be too costly for resource-poor regions.
But a new study published today in the online journal PLoS One reveals that PrEP may cut new infections in sub-Saharan Africa by 74 percent in 10 years if used consistently.
Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
