Officials: HIV drug can protect drug users
A recent study was done in Thailand which looked pre-exposure preventative treatment for HIV in injection drug users. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a treatment used before exposure to a disease with the purpose of preventing, rather than treating or curing a disease. In this case, the study was using this method of preventative treatment for a group of individuals (injection drug users) which has a high-risk of contracting HIV. Results were quite positive, especially in the patients with perfect compliance.
Officials: HIV drug can protect drug users
June 12, 2013
U.S. health officials say doctors should consider giving a daily AIDS drug to another high risk group to prevent infection — people who shoot heroin, methamphetamines or other injection drugs.
A similar recommendation is already in place for gay men and heterosexual couples.
The new advice was triggered by a study done in Thailand. Drug users who took the daily pill were about 50% less likely to become infected with HIV than those given a dummy pill.
Drug users represent about 1 in 13 new infections in the U.S. but they account for the majority of cases in Eastern Europe and central Asia.
The research was done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Thai government. The findings were released Wednesday by the journal Lancet.