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Daily pill can cut AIDS risk for gay men, study finds


lexus97

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40333614/ns/health-mens_health/

;) mens health info

msnbc.com news services

updated 54 minutes ago 2010-11-23T18:49:41

Scientists have an exciting breakthrough in the fight against AIDS. A pill already used to treat HIV infection turns out to be a powerful weapon in protecting healthy gay men from catching the virus, a global study found.

Daily doses of Truvada cut the risk of infection by 44 percent when given with condoms, counseling and other prevention services. Men who took their pills most faithfully had even more protection, up to 73 percent.

Researchers had feared the pills might give a false sense of security and make men less likely to use condoms or to limit their partners, but the opposite happened — risky sex declined.

The results are "a major advance" that can help curb the epidemic in gay men, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, AIDS prevention chief at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But he warned they may not apply to people exposed to HIV through male-female sex, drug use or other ways. Studies in those groups are under way now.

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They prescribe Truvada within 72 hours to people who may have been exposed to hiv as a preventative measure to decrease likelihood of transmission. However, after 72 hours of exposure, Truvada won't work in preventing transmission anymore. The regime of one tablet a day must be started within 72 hours of exposure otherwise it won't be effective. They prescribe it to a lot of sexual assault victims as well as health workers that can get pricked by a contaminated needle. This shit is expensive, if you're not covered by health insurance a month supply is about $1000. Its relatively new so there is no generic alternative for it yet as well. This "breakthru" is good news. I just hope it doesn't give a false sense of security and people stop having safe sex and decide to just pop a pill daily.

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