HIV Prevention Drug Backed by LA County

WELLNESS-According to the CDC there are more than 1.2 million Americans living with HIV and 1 in 7 of those are not aware that they are infected. There are about 50,000 new cases a year with homosexual African American men contracting the virus at a rate disproportionally higher than any other group. 

According to Aids Lifecycle, California ranks second in the country with New York being the only other state having more cases of HIV and AIDS. In Los Angels alone there are 60,000 people currently living with HIV and 1,850 new cases are reported in LA County each year, which is down from 6000 at its peak. For the past 30 years Los Angeles has experienced the second largest HIV epidemic in the Unites States.   

In July of 2012 the FDA approved the first drug of its kind to be used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent the spread of HIV. The drug has a brand name of Truvada and it is made up of tenofovir and emtricitabine. The CDC reports that when PrEP is taken as prescribed and with strict adherence it is 92% affective, and there have been international studies done putting that number closer to 96%. Normally when infected with HIV, the virus replicates rapidly in the body, but PrEP prevents this process from ever taking place.    

There have been some naysayers on the topic of PrEP use including the outspoken Michael Weinstein, president of the Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) who was quoted as saying “If something comes along that’s better than condoms, I’m all for it, but Truvada is not that. Let’s be honest: It’s a party drug.” Mr. Weinstein’s remarks have been met with a backlash with some calling for his resignation from the AHF, which he cofounded in 1986.  

In spite of Weinstein’s remarks, last week the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion penned by Sheila Kuehl. The motion moves to “develop and implement a plan for a robust, comprehensive program to deliver Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Los Angeles County,” to help prevent HIV transmission. The goal of the LA Supervisor Board is to eliminate new cases of HIV in LA County.  

The Supervisors realize that PrEP can be costly, up to $1000 a month, and that many people in our community can’t afford the medication and don’t have access to health insurance that would cover it. These high risk uninsured individuals often include African American and Latin men and woman along with the transgendered community of Los Angeles. In 2014 the LA commission on HIV recommended that the board approve expanded access to PrEP. 

The department of public health’s di vision created a plan using a network of private and public clinics to educate and distribute PrEP throughout Los Angeles County. Last week the drug finally started to be apportioned in Los Angeles and most agree that this is an important step in the eradication of HIV and AIDS.

 

 (Christian Cristiano is an acupuncturist in LA, TV host of Wellness for Realists and writes on wellness regularly for CityWatch. Christian can be reached at 323.935.3420. twitter: @CristianoWFR)

-cw

 

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 13 Issue 49

Pub: Jun 17, 2015