Thanks for taking the poll
Can you help us reach our goal of 75 votes?
Do you think the recent FDA approval of Truvada to prevent HIV infection will have a positive or negative impact on the fight against HIV/AIDS?
- Posted to AIDS Research Alliance
46 people voted
On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the once-a-day pill, Truvada, to prevent HIV infection. The drug is intended primarily for high-risk individuals such as men who have sex with men and the partners of people who are HIV-positive.
Margaret Hamburg, the FDA commissioner, explains that this approval "marks an important milestone in our fight against HIV"- a disease that newly infects about 50,000 people a year in the United States. In two large trial studies, Truvada was found to reduce the risk of HIV-infection by 42 percent in healthy gay and bisexual men and by 75 percent among heterosexual couples with one HIV-positive partner.
However, some people believe that Truvada could have negative impacts. Critics have expressed concern that the drug could create a false sense of security, which may lead to lower condom use and risky sexual behavior. Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, argues that the approval is a "catastrophe" because patients may fail to take the drug every day- thus losing protection.
What's your opinion on the Truvada approval? Learn more at http://wapo.st/Od5zDR
0 of 1 batches sent
Check the "Don't ask again" box below and you won't have to confirm the next time you send invitations
Discuss the poll
I am on Truvada and have been HIV positive for 13 years the benefits of this drug has done amazing things for keeping me undetectable. Its harder for me to pass the virus being on Truvada & keeping a low viral load. Just because a HIV negative person takes a pill everyday that helps prevent the spread of HIV does'nt mean they wont still become infected. Just like condoms, when you have sex you are AT RISK NO MATTER WHAT YOU USE. I hope someone does'nt rely on Truvada & goes out to have...
…I am on Truvada and have been HIV positive for 13 years the benefits of this drug has done amazing things for keeping me undetectable. Its harder for me to pass the virus being on Truvada & keeping a low viral load. Just because a HIV negative person takes a pill everyday that helps prevent the spread of HIV does'nt mean they wont still become infected. Just like condoms, when you have sex you are AT RISK NO MATTER WHAT YOU USE. I hope someone does'nt rely on Truvada & goes out to have unsafe sex. this pill could send a wrong message to our youth. I LOVE the medicine but it needs to belong to the HIV/AIDS infected community. Spend money on a actual vaccine or a cure.
This is a terrible decision by the FDA.
…The necessity to adhere to a strict daily dose regimen will simply not be there. People are already to desensitized to the severity of this deadly disease. Furthermore, this downplays real issues and worse yet may result in turning an opportunistic disease even more opportunistic, allowing eventual strands that are fully resistant to treatments and this so called "preventive" treatment. I have even heard HIV be casually referred to as the "new common...
This is a terrible decision by the FDA.
The necessity to adhere to a strict daily dose regimen will simply not be there. People are already to desensitized to the severity of this deadly disease. Furthermore, this downplays real issues and worse yet may result in turning an opportunistic disease even more opportunistic, allowing eventual strands that are fully resistant to treatments and this so called "preventive" treatment. I have even heard HIV be casually referred to as the "new common cold". Rulings like this only encourage ignorance and irresponsibility.
Making such "preventative treatments" readily available could prove to be detrimental to the advances made in recent years on HIV/AIDS.
I am sure there are other points I am missing but those for starters are enough to sway my opinion strongly in opposition to such a ruling by the FDA, also makes me wonder what the real motives behind this are.... money? drug dependence? etc?
Its a very good New Start by the FDA approving the first drug for hiv prevention and hope they will continue to approve more promising drugs like prostratin, dpp, geovax therapeutic vaccine for hiv, bryostatin and new inventions by aids research alliance and professor paul wender from stamford university in an effort to end the hiv/aids disease.