HIV-preventative drug to be made available in England from April

The Department of Health has confirmed that a drug which prevents the transmission of the HIV virus will be available in England from April.

The antiretroviral medication, known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) stops the transmission of HIV during unprotected sex, and is already available in Wales and Scotland to people at risk of contracting the virus.

It is estimated that there are currently around 103,800 people in the UK living with HIV and health secretary Matt Hancock said the roll-out of the drug in England would eliminate new infections within ten years.

The Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity which supports those living with HIV, estimates that around 7 per cent of the people living with the virus in the UK do not know they are HIV positive.

Ian Green, the charity’s chief executive, described the development as a “game-changer” for prevention of the virus. However, he also said that more work needed to be done to ensure the benefits of the drug were clarified to groups other than gay and bisexual men, such as women, BAME communities and trans people.

Sir Elton John, whose foundation supports HIV treatment and prevention, welcomed the government’s decision, saying “Taking PrEP prevents HIV from being passed on, which is truly incredible.

“It is the right decision for the UK government to roll this out more widely to minimise the spread of this disease, so more people are protected – which is critical in fighting any epidemic.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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