There鈥檚 a pill that can help prevent HIV infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines on it, last year. But few at-risk people, in Columbus, are taking it. Local health officials issued an alert to area doctors, Monday, about the breakthrough drug.
The drug is known as PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis. Truvada 鈥� the brand name 鈥� has been used to treat HIV for years. But researchers found it is 92 percent effective at preventing new infections if the drug is already in someone鈥檚 body.
Simply put, Truvada blocks the virus from replicating.
But health officials say few people know about PrEP. And even fewer are taking it.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 about people becoming familiar that it is very, very, very effective and that it is very available,鈥� said Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Teresa Long.
Long, who called the PrEP a "game changer," said an alert was sent to local physicians about the drug.
The AIDS Resource Center Central Ohio provides most local prescriptions, so far, to about 60 people.
Josh Culbertson is one of them. He鈥檚 gay and HIV negative. Culbertson first heard about PrEP on social media.
鈥淚 thought it was too good to be true. And the more I read about it, the questing in my head shifted from can this be real to why aren鈥檛 we putting this in the drinking water,鈥� Culbertson laughed. 鈥淵ou know, why are we not doing everything we can to minimize the risk of new infections?鈥�
Culbertson has taken the daily drug for about three months. Aside from some headaches the first week or so, he said there have been no side effects.
鈥淚鈥檓 really shocked at the number of people who are unaware and haven鈥檛 heard of it and are just amazed that such a medication exists,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o while I constantly keep getting asked these days 鈥榳hy did you decide to start taking this medication?鈥� I think a better question is: 鈥榳hy would I not?鈥欌€�
Columbus Public Health soon will roll out a 鈥淧rEP Yourself鈥� educational campaign. Gay men, young African-American males and intravenous drug users are some of the targeted demographics.
Health officials say access to doctors is a reason for the low local prescription rate. But Dr. Long puts the onus on physicians to ask patients about their sexual behavior, even if it鈥檚 uncomfortable.
Stonewall Columbus executive director Carla Rothan encourages people to breakout out of what she called 鈥渋nternalized homophobia鈥� and to be honest with doctors about their sexual health.
鈥淭o go to your doctor and out yourself and let them know that you are at-risk is probably something that doesn鈥檛 happen very often,鈥� Rothan said. 鈥淎nd so I think that people are still in the closet. They鈥檙e still afraid to come out to their doctors. And that鈥檚 why we have support groups that help in that manner from [Stonewall Columbus] because...it鈥檚 healthier in many cases to be 鈥榦ut.鈥欌€�
Health officials dispute critics who say the pill will promote promiscuity and discourage condom use. OSU's Dr. Jose Bazan said clinical trials indicate some people engage in less risky behavior when they take PrEP, in part, because they're thinking about their own risk.
PrEP patients must submit blood work every three months.
Truvada is covered by most insurance companies and Medicaid. The drug鈥檚 makers, Gilead, also offer financial assistance programs.