For the first time in France, the Saint-Louis Hospital in Paris is opening consultations on November 10, 2015 offering preventive treatment (PrEP) against HIVfor people very exposed to the risk of infection by this virus. At the origin of this initiative: Professor Jean-Michel Molina, head of the infectious and tropical diseases department at Saint-Louis hospital and the association HELP, which will provide support to beneficiaries.
Prevent and reduce the risk of contamination
Prevention consultations aim both to deliver a preventive order of Truvada if the person is at high risk of being infected and to offer support. Doctors and professionals will indeed provide individualized support and information on all prevention tools, advice on risk assessment and sexual health in general and an incentive to regular HIV testing and sexually transmitted infections (STI). All this with the same goal: to limit the number of HIV infections. “The opening of this consultation is very good news“, explains Aurélien Beaucamp, president of AIDES, in a press release.”It will both prevent contamination and guarantee essential medical monitoring for all people who already use PrEP outside of any prescription framework. We hope that many similar initiatives will emerge all over France.“Each month, more than 500 people in France find out that they are HIV positive.
An authorization that is slow to come for the Truvada
The preventive treatment PrEP (for pre-exposure prophylaxis) has been authorized in the United States since 2012. In France, the AIDES association requested in 2013 a Temporary Recommendation for Use (RTU). A few days ago, the commission of the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) made a favorable opinion on the use of Truvada as a preventive treatment. But the Ministry of Health has still not commented on this authorization. Since the Truvada does not yet have an RTU, it is not covered by social security: its relatively high cost (around 500 euros per month) will therefore remain payable by the beneficiary for the time being.
>> To read also:
AIDS: Truvada effective in preventing HIV
HIV: people with AIDS live 20 years longer than in 2001
27% of young people think that AIDS can be cured
HIV: how does it work in the body?