Finally there's going to be a two years trial scheme on how effective the globally much talked about HIV infection drug. THE TIMES reports that Gay men will be given a pill to let them have unprotected sex without risking HIV infection, in a trial funded by the Government.
Scientists hope the pill could save thousands of people from HIV infection, which is at a record high, but there are fears it could backfire and lead to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases if it encourages promiscuity.
Nearly 500 gay men who regularly have unprotected sex or are involved in heavy drug use have been selected for the two-year pilot trial of the drug Truvada, which is already used by the NHS to treat HIV. If the trial is successful, it is likely Truvada would be made available free in sexual health clinics, becoming the first drug in the UK used to prevent HIV rather than treat it. However, there are concerns from HIV experts, health providers and sexual health charities that the drug could lead to an increase in risky behaviour.
If men become complacent and stop wearing condoms, they risk other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis or Hepatitis C, which kills more people than HIV in the UK.
“There is a big concern about the impact this might have on behaviour”, said Sheena McCormack, of University College London, who is leading the trial that began in November 2012. “It could lead to a lot more risk-taking and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as perhaps also drawing in people who were currently using condoms consistently into dropping the condoms.
“Everyone has been concerned about that. That’s why we have ended up doing this randomised trial.” Half of the participants in the study are being given the daily pill immediately, while the other half will get it a year later.
HIV infections among gay men are at an all-time high in the UK. In London alone there were 1,450 new infections in 2012, a rise of 14 per cent from the previous year, according to Public Health England, which is helping to fund the trial.
Some sexual health workers are attributing the rise in HIV infections to a growing trend called “chem-sex”, where men have unprotected sex while high on drugs such as crystal meth or mephedrone.
David Stuart, substance use lead adviser at 56 Dean Street sexual health clinic, Central London, said: “These new drugs have shifted things completely. In a group of these really powerful disinhibitors, all you care about is the high and the pursuit of whatever you’re after, which is sex.”
Rich, 36, is ten months through the trial and believes the drug will be useful only if seen as one method of protection, rather than the only method. “When you get into a relationship with somebody condom use slips and it’s those times when it’s a really good safety net,” he said.
The drug is likely to raise questions over its high price. Gilead, the California company that produces Truvada, charges £418.50 for 30 tablets, but is providing the drugs free for this trial. NHS England said: “We keep our funding policies under regular review in line with available research evidence.”
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