NEW diagnoses of HIV in gay and bisexual men have fallen by 20% since the introduction of the PrEP prevention pill programme in 2017, research shows.
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) uses antiretroviral drugs – also used for treating people with diagnosed HIV – to stop those at highest risk from contracting the virus.
HIV negative people can take PrEP, available from NHS sexual health clinics, before sex to reduce their risk of getting the virus.
Researchers compared diagnosis numbers two years prior to the introduction of the use of the drug in Scotland with the following two years.
They found new HIV diagnoses in men who have sex with men fell from 229 to 184. Of the 16,723 gay and bisexual men who attended Scottish sexual health clinics between 2017 and 2019, 3256 (19.5%) were prescribed PrEP at least once.
Among this group, the incidence of HIV infection fell by 75%.
It also fell by 32% among men who had never taken PrEP, suggesting PrEP users remaining HIV negative had benefits for their sexual partners too. However, the research found the drug programme struggles to reach other groups who could benefit, including women, heterosexual men, people from some African communities, transgender people and people who inject drugs.
Before PrEP, approximately half of Scotland’s HIV diagnoses were in gay and bisexual men, 30% in heterosexual men and women, and 15% in people who inject drugs.
Claudia Estcourt from Glasgow Caledonian University, professor of sexual health and HIV, led the study. She said: “We have shown that it is possible to achieve important reductions in HIV incidence in men who have sex with men when PrEP is implemented within routine care.
“Our findings suggest that PrEP can make a wider contribution, alongside other prevention interventions, in reducing population-level risk of HIV for those not on PrEP.
“All you have to do is watch ‘It’s A Sin’ to see the damage caused by sexual taboos – it’s gutting and chilling.”
The research was funded by Public Health Scotland and published in the AIDS online journal.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here