Medical Research Update: Truvada

By now, you may have heard of Truvada, or PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis.) In the iPrEx Study, which was the first randomized controlled trial of Truvada, Truvada for PrEP helped reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection by 44%.

In the group who took their prescribed dose more than 90% of the time (adherence to medication was a huge issue in the trial) that percentage went up to 73%. And the researchers concluded that if trial participants would have taken their medication as directed, that percentage would have been 92%.

In any case, the results were exciting. While not a cure, or even a treatment for someone who is HIV positive, the medicine helps reduce the risk of transmission from someone who is HIV-positive to one who is HIV-negative. Learn more here.