Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) decreases risk of HIV Transmission

[Guest guest]

Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) decreases risk of HIV Transmission

Workshop on "Awareness on HIV AIDS amongst the Employees working in ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and its Institutes" was organized today at the seminar hall of RMRI (Rajendra Memorial Research Institute), Agamkuan, Patna today. Welcoming the participants from ICMR institutes from whole over India, Dr P Das, Director RMRI stated that HIV infection is still spreading rapidly in Bihar. After the opening of AIDS Treatment Center at RMRI, within a short span of 9 months, more than 3700 patients have registered for treatment and 900 of them are new cases. Guest speaker, Dr Diwakar Tejaswi spoke at length about Standard Works Precaution and Post Exposure Prophylaxis as a mean to protect the health care providers themselves from acquiring HIV infection. Dr Tejaswi also presented

the findings from the CAPRISA and iPrEx studies showing that biomedical prevention can decrease the risk of HIV infection.

The CAPRISA 004 trial, showed that South African women who applied a 1% tenofovir vaginal microbicide gel before and after sex had a 39% lower risk of HIV acquisition overall, and 54% less among those with the best adherence.

Similarly, eagerly awaited data from the international iPrEx trial, first published in the November 23, 2010 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) using daily oral tenofovir/emtricitabine lowered the likelihood of HIV infection by 44% among men who have sex with men, with a 73% reduction among those with good adherence. Dr Tejaswi summarized the recently concluded HIV NAT Bangkok meet stating that an

antiretroviral microbicide and PrEP can have an appreciable effect on lowering HIV incidence at a population level, though the risk reduction is not enough to recommend these strategies in lieu of condoms for individuals.

Dr Diwakar TejaswiPatna

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