AHF Launches 'PrEP Facts' Ad Campaign Cautioning Against Wider Use of Flawed HIV Prevention Strategy
Eight major studies show scientific data do not support the large-scale use of Truvada as
a community-wide public health intervention to prevent transmission of HIV-despite recent recommendations
by the CDC and World Health Organization. Medication adherence is the main issue: Even in carefully
monitored clinical trials, many study participants simply did NOT take Truvada every day as prescribed.
AHF's 'PrEP Facts' advocacy & awareness ads first started this week in a few newspapers, magazines and online
outlets in California and will continue and expand next week to five outlets in South Florida.
By: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
LOS ANGELES (August 22, 2014) - Citing poor drug adherence by individuals enrolled in eight major clinical
research trials on the use of Gilead's AIDS treatment, Truvada, for use
as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as a possible method of HIV prevention, advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
have launched a new national 'PrEP Facts' ad campaign
cautioning individuals, community organizations and government bodies against the widespread scale up of PrEP for HIV prevention.
AHF's 'PrEP Facts' ad campaign educating the public about adherence issues and PrEP initially started running this week in a
few newspapers, magazines and online outlets in California and will continue and expand to six outlets in California and five news
outlets in South Florida over the next week. AHF's campaign also comes on the heels of recent-and what AHF believes are
misguided-recommendations by both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) for the widespread scale up and implementation of the problematic HIV prevention strategy.
"The eight major studies show the scientific data do not support the large-scale use of Truvada as a community-wide public health
intervention to prevent transmission of HIV," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Medication adherence
is the primary problem: Even in carefully monitored clinical trials, in which people were counseled monthly, had blood samples drawn
and were even paid to participate, many study participants simply did NOT take Truvada every day as prescribed. As such, we want
the public to know that the government-sanctioned widespread scale up of PrEP appears to be a public health disaster in the making."
Poor drug adherence was found almost across the board in the eight major clinical research trials of Truvada as PrEP. The Partners PrEP Study (97-98% adherence,
which resulted in a 73% efficacy); TDF2 Study (Study stopped early due to loss to follow-up. 63% efficacy-adherence not
available); the iPrex OLE [Open Label Extension] Study (Preliminary results from the iPrEx OLE study released at
the 20th International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Australia in July
showed an initial overall efficacy of 49%); the Bangkok Study (84% adherence, which resulted in a
49% efficacy); the initial iPrex Study (Overall PrEP efficacy: 44%); the CAPRISA Gel Study (Vaginal tenofovir gel had
39% efficacy-adherence not available. Gel was used before and after sex.); the VOICE Gel Study (Study stopped
early due to lack of vaginal tenofovir efficacy. Gel was used daily.); and the FEM-PrEP Study (Study
stopped early due to low adherence and equal rates of infection in both study arms.).
AHF's 'PrEP Facts' ad campaign is running/or will soon run in the following publications: CALIFORNIA: Frontiers (8/27/14),
Long Beach Press Telegram (8/17/14), LA Weekly (8/21/14), Los Angeles Daily News (8/17/14), Oakland Post (8/20/14), Beverly Press
(8/27/14) and in SOUTH FLORIDA: SFGN (South Florida Gay News-8/27/14), Miami New Times/Broward New Times (8/26/14), HotSpots
(8/27/14), Westside Gazette (8/28/14), Florida Agenda (8/28/14).
The 'PrEP Facts' campaign will likely expand to other markets as AHF continues to ramp up its public awareness and advocacy
campaign cautioning against the widespread scale up of PrEP for possible HIV prevention. The ads also serve to educate the public as
to the critical, but complicated role adherence to the controversial HIV prevention protocol plays the overall success of PrEP
when deployed more widely among the general public.
###
SOURCE: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
CONTACTS:
Ged Kenslea,
+1.323. 308.1833 or mobile 323 .791.5526
gedk@aidshealth.org
"Reproduced with permission - AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)"
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
For more HIV and AIDS News visit...
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News
|
