A new pill could have huge implications for the HIV and AIDS community.
Scientists have unveiled a new pill that could fight HIV infections — and it could change the face of medicine.
A study of sufferers in the San Francisco area involving the pill found that none of the 657 people who took the pill named Truvada developed new HIV infections, according to a Reuters report.
Truvada, which is produced by Gilead, has been hailed for its life-saving potential particularly when it comes to pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV. HIV leads to AIDS.
Scientists have found that Truvada can reduce the risk of HIV infection by a whopping 92 percent, although it doesn’t protect patients from other sexually transmitted diseases.
Truvada performed well in a clinical trial, although some expressed doubt about how it would work in the real world.
A total 657 members of the Kaiser Permanente system participated in the study. They were aged 20 to 68 years old and took Truvada from 2012 to 2015, with the majority identifying as either gay or bisexual.
The study results were very positive, with none of the participants having any new HIV infections, although half of them had sexually transmitted diseases of another sort.
A total of 41 percent of the 143 study participants decreased their use of condoms, although many involved were in monogamous relationships so this may be an expected finding.
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, is a lentivirus that causes the HIV infection and eventually results in AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS causes progressive failure of the immune system, allowing infections and cancers to invade the body. Most peoplewho have HIV live 9 to 11 years without treatment.