HIV Prevention Pill A Big Development In Communities Of Color

[denem]

Source: NPR

A new study by the National Institutes of Health suggests that a pill, known as Truvada, may be able to prevent HIV infection for gay and bisexual men. Host Allison Keyes talks with Dr. Jonathan Mermin of the Centers for Disease Control and Adolph Falcon of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health about the drug and what it could mean for communities of color which are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS in the US. ...

.Dr. MERMIN::Well, the results from the study do represent a major advance. It's the first firm evidence we have that taking a drug can prevent people from getting HIV. In this case, reducing risk by 44 percent. And this is particularly welcome news since the study enrolled participants from one of the hardest hit groups: gay and bisexual men, among whom half of new HIV infections in the U.S. are occurring.

Mr. ADOLPH FALCON (National Alliance for Hispanic Health): Well, I think one of the concerns is calling this the prevention pill might lead people to believe that there is something out there that is a cure. A prevention pill is really a misnomer for this. This is a prevention sometimes pill. You know, the study found that it worked about half the time. That's not a great number, you know...

And people in the Latino and African-American community are much more at risk for HIV than the rest of the population, are they not? ... Mr. FALCON: That's true.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131570706

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White's are exempt from HIV u'know.

[kestrel91316]

1. Probably should be provided free to sex workers and porno actors.

It's just common sense.

[TheWraith]

4. Porn studios have incredibly stringent testing standards.

And someone who has unprotected sex with an untested person can and will be blacklisted from ever working in porn again.

[truthisfreedom]

13. HIV tests are often ineffective for the first 6 months after exposure/infection.

It's a very complicated mess if you have multiple partners and don't know for sure who infected you.

[TheWraith]

20. Which is why the rules for testing are so strict.

To work in porn, a person has to have a lot of clean tests going back to I believe a year or so, as well as not having had unprotected sex within that period.

[Creative]

10. Free...? Well, I surely will not stand in your way.

You are free to give away as many of these pills as you can afford to give.

[Name removed]

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[Creative]

18. In case you haven't heard, the government is out of money.

[kestrel91316]

16. Oh, and we don't worship Ayn Rand here.

[Creative]

19. Actually, I don't worship anyone...

However, I am open to wide range of ideas and realize that no one political philosophy or economic system has all the answers.

[TheWraith]

21. Why is passing out this pill superior to providing condoms?

This drug seems to be an answer in need of a problem. Condoms are very effective in preventing HIV, much more so than a 44% chance from a pill.

[defendandprotect]

2. K&R -- back later to read I hope!

[arikara]

3. A prevention sometimes pill???

How in the world do they plan to prove that it works? They won't, but they will fudge the trials and results like they did with statins and every other big money maker drug on the market, and they'll spend a fortune on advertising not to mention buying up the legislators. These creeps are the masters of deception, they prey upon peoples fears.

[TheWraith]

5. Okay... what's the point?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a condom is five nines effective, compared to 44%? Those aren't good odds for the pill. If it's for "the condom broke" situations, okay, but that's not how they seem to be selling this. And I can't imagine someone who refuses to use a condom being willing to get a special prescription drug.

[stlsaxman]

6. at $30 a pop i'm sure it's gonna fly off the shelves....

:eyes:

[ThomThom]

7. does it not work on heterosexual people, women, bisexual?

?

[stlsaxman]

8. The article never says it does- so we should ass/u/me it won't- it's on NPR, after all.

the pinnacle of journalistic excellence as everyone knows!

:eyes:

[ThomThom]

9. I just thought it was odd that they would single out certain people

like they are the only ones that get HIV. I would think it works the same on all people

[stlsaxman]

11. Sorry, i was being a little snarky there... (i loathe NPR) of course it would work on all humans.

in their effort to be "sensitive" they overlooked that little fact.

[ThomThom]

17. snark for snark

I thought so too from the beginning

[XemaSab]

12. As I said in another thread

how does this not encourage the spread of HIV by encouraging unprotected sex?

[ruggerson]

14. I don't think anyone is going to take it anyway

Twenty year olds are not going to adhere to a daily regimen of an anti-viral drug for a disease they don't yet have.