Take the blue pill and trip down the rabbit hole? Not exactly. But by swallowing a single baby-blue tablet a day, you are jumping into a matrix of protecting yourself from HIV in the best way possible. There hasn't been this much controversy over a little blue capsule since Viagra, and the world's first preventative treatment against HIV and AIDS hasn't quite taken the planet by storm in the way it should. Without good reason.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis--cute-ified and shortened to the acronym PrEP and served to the public in the form of a single, daily pill that is Truvada--should have immediately taken off like wildfire within the most high-risk groups, but it hasn't. The scientific community universally agrees through dozens of studies conducted worldwide that consistent and everyday use of Truvada is 92-99% effective against the spread of HIV, with little to no side effects. This is a breakthrough in the war against one of the most deadly viruses of the last century and is a new twist in a the millennial sexual revolution.
So, why hasn't Truvada been embraced with open arms? We finally have a preventative response to dealing with the spread of HIV and yet there still aren't many people regularly taking it. Why? Is it the high cost of the medicine alongside limited financial support from insurance companies and local governments? Maybe it is because Truvada doesn't have the best reputation, partly because not everyone, including the AIDS Health Foundation, endorses the use of PrEP. AHF warns that the regular use of Truvada will encourage more unprotected promiscuity. Some groups take issue with the "newness" of this medicine and a lack of further research. Others assume that a lack of adhering to the daily regiment will lead to a development of Truvada-resistant HIV strains. A few friends have even feared the stigma placed upon us so called "Truvada whores."
Probably the biggest reason why people aren't on PrEP is an overall ignorance to its existence. Without the big endorsements from agencies like AMFAR or AHF and little to no announcements/ marketing by the FDA or Center for Disease Control, Truvada has had a rocky start announcing itself to the world as one of the biggest break-throughs in modern disease-prevention science. Local city government officials in Los Angeles are just now initiating programs to spread its accessibly to the public. Only a handful of US cities and metropoli worldwide have taken similar measures.
It's time to look at the facts.
Truvada is not new medicine. It has been prescribed for HIV positive patients as part of their regiment for over a decade. Approved by the US Food and Drug administration in 2004 to treat HIV positive patients, Truvada contains two anti-retroviral drugs, Tenofovir and Emtricitabine, in one pill form. In 2012, the FDA approved the use of Truvada as a prophylactic against HIV and the CDC endorsed it in 2014. But since then, Truvada has seen a large amount of controversy versus actual growing number of people on it.
In a day and age where a vast number of the population takes either vitamins or a medicine daily, is non-adherence really a reality? HIV itself has become manageable by taking a single pill a day, and positive people retain an undetectable status while maintaining the highest level of health through strict adherence. Most people have a regiment when it comes to their lives and adding a pill a day no longer seems such a far off idea when we stop and think about our health conscious society.
"It's a black and white issue," My friend began defending PrEP to a fellow bar patron not yet swayed on the idea of getting on Truvada.
"You have a medicine that can prevent you from getting a disease that can kill you, and all you have to do is take a pill a day. It's a pretty simple choice for me."
What about the stigma of perpetuated inflated promiscuity? Or the stigma of being labeled "slutty" or "whorish" for admitting you have unprotected sex in the first place? It is a fact that people are already promiscuous. Sex is enjoyable and we all have it because it feels good. Sometimes accidents happen or sex occurs that is unprotected. Condoms aren't enough and certainly aren't used enough. Our own personal presence on earth confirms that not everyone wears condoms during sex, in the first place. Maybe we should start regarding Truvada in the same light that we look at birth control: both are preventative measures against unwanted outcomes.
As for the stigma, we shouldn't be acting like those of us wanting to get on Truvada, or those that are already on board, are deviants or less than others for having a sexual appetite. The label "Truvada Whore" is cute, but in a way, it also puts a negative stamp on something that is actually a smart and responsible decision, especially for those of us in the gay community: The highest at risk. We need to be celebrating the ones of us that are responsible enough to admit that they have sex, they enjoy it, mistakes happen, life happens, and we can only do our best with what we've got to protect ourselves from what's out there. We need to talk about sex more so that we are all armed with the best knowledge to be able to handle situations that arise to the best of our capabilities.
The generation before us longed for the day when preventative measures could be taken to stop the spread of HIV. With modern medicines, people who are HIV+ are able to lead long, healthy lives, but there remains no vaccine to prevent getting HIV. Even though HIV+ people who are undetectable cannot pass the virus onto their partners, we are still no step closer to a cure for HIV/AIDS. Now we have a tool to help guarantee the inevitable end of the spreading of the virus. Truvada is admittedly not a cure. PrEP will not kill the virus, but it will end the rapid spread of the disease like we've seen in recent years. Once more people are taking Truvada on a daily basis, the less and less individuals will become newly infected. We could effectively wipe out AIDS altogether in 30 years if everyone was on PrEP and all positive people remained undetectable. This statistic may be too hard for you to swallow, but should be harder than tossing back a jagged little blue Truvada, Alanis.
The costs of the medicine are still a concern, though local grassroots efforts are forcing governments like the City of West Hollywood to provide accessibility to PrEP at little to no expense to those who are in high risk environments. Most insurance companies are now covering Truvada as a prescribed prophylactic. The more PrEP is discussed and pushed as an issue, the more it gains vitality as a necessity that the public needs better access to.
Not to sound like a public service announcement or infomercial, but please do us all a favor and begin worrying about your sexual health. Don't necessarily stop having sex: As stated above, sex is healthy and is an activity we all can enjoy. Just please begin educating yourself as to what sexually transmitted illnesses there are out there and how easy it is to catch them.
Wear condoms. More than you want to. Get tested. At least 4 times a year. And see your doctor. Ask him about a little blue guy by the name of Truvada.
J'adore!
