Could This HIV Prevention Tool Change Your Life?
How effective is injectable PrEP? In studies, ApretudeWhile Gilead’s Truvada pill has been approved for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, since 2012 — and, when taken daily, lowers users’ risks from contracting HIV through sex by about 99 percent — taking the medication without fail has proven to be challenging and off-putting for some.“PrEP requires high levels of adherence to be effective and certain high-risk individuals and groups, such as young men who have sex with men, are less likely to adhere to daily medication,” the FDA states. “Other interpersonal factors, such as substance use disorders, depression, poverty, and efforts to conceal medication also can impact adherence.”The FDA hopes that with the option of a long-acting injectable that doesn’t need to be taken daily, more at-risk groups will access preventive medication.
That’s part of what makes Apretude such an exciting breakthrough. The long-acting nature of the medication means daily doses will no longer be required to help protect against contracting HIV through sex.
However, as with all new drugs, there are naturally a lot of questions. If you’ve been considering talking to your health care provider about taking Apretude, here’s what you need to know first. Who is injectable PrEP for?According to the FDA, Apretude has been approved for adults and adolescents ages 12 and older who are considered at-risk for contracting HIV from sex.
Critically, it’s only for use if you’ve been confirmed to be HIV-negative. It’s been approved for the prevention of HIV, not treatment of the virus, and using Apretude with an active HIV infection can lead to developing drug resistance, which can make HIV treatment more difficult.
