This Monday, December 1, is World AIDS Day. The opportunity to review the results of a survey conducted by the Aides association on access to preventive anti-HIV treatment (also called pre-exposure prophylaxis), still unauthorized in France and Canada.
From March to April 2014, Aides interviewed nearly 3,000 people vulnerable to HIV about preventive treatment, which, along with rapid testing, is one of the potential tools to roll back the AIDS epidemic. It turns out that few of them know of the existence of such a treatment. Homosexuals or people likely to have sex with partners of the same sex are the most likely (19.7%) to have been aware of this preventive approach compared to only 6% of heterosexuals. However, they would be 37% to opt for the treatment, including 11% without hesitation, if an authorization loomed. Moreover, 4.5% of respondents have already had recourse to this type of treatment in the absence of a legal framework.
How does preventive treatment work?
The preventive treatment is based on a combination of antiretrovirals (in the form of tablets) supposed to block the multiplication of the virus at a very early stage. There is no consensus on the frequency of treatment yet: some recommend taking the drug on a daily basis while others believe that the intake should frame each intercourse. In all cases, preventive treatment does not guarantee total protection: a test has shown that taking the treatment daily only reduced the risk of becoming infected by 70 to 90%.
Several associations are calling for its legislation
Almost thirty years after the discovery of the AIDS virus, there is still no treatment to fight it effectively and the number of people living with HIV continues to grow. This is the reason why several associations are stepping up to offer a wider range of prevention. For them, the preventive treatment must be approved, as it is already in the United States. But his detractors are numerous within the medical community. Many fear an increased risk of other sexually transmitted infections as a result of condom abandonment …
