What do you think of guys who are on PrEP?

[sfversboi]

I know this one poz top that gives his fucks 1 Travada pill and tells them to take it if they get scared of infecting, or change their minds. Those that don't take the pill can save it for when they are fucking their potent seeds into a bottom who wants a choice.

[fillmyholeftl]

One single pill won't do anything..

[bearbandit]

I know this one poz top that gives his fucks 1 Travada pill and tells them to take it if they get scared of infecting, or change their minds. Those that don't take the pill can save it for when they are fucking their potent seeds into a bottom who wants a choice.

This guy is a fool of the highest order. 1 truvada pill isn't enough to raise a side effect, let alone have any effect on HIV. Basically he's stealthing the bottom. If a single truvada pill worked we'd be looking at a very different world.

[skinster]

... It is more of a crutch for them to lean on than anything else.

Also it is NOT 100% effective even when the dosage schedule is followed.

I agree, it is a crutch even when you're still walking. But the alternative is to become immobile altogether.

The worst thing ever is that we all die regardless of HIV.

Anything that reduces the risk (even off-putting rubbers) is better than going unknowingly and unmedicated.

But I do have a problem with side effects of long-term use. It's not aspirin. I don't need additional chronic things going on in my life, I'd like to keep my kidneys, bones and liver.

[sfversboi]

I believe every guy knows 1 pill won't have any effect.

[kinkygradstudent]

I agree, it is a crutch even when you're still walking. But the alternative is to become immobile altogether.

The worst thing ever is that we all die regardless of HIV.

Anything that reduces the risk (even off-putting rubbers) is better than going unknowingly and unmedicated.

But I do have a problem with side effects of long-term use. It's not aspirin. I don't need additional chronic things going on in my life, I'd like to keep my kidneys, bones and liver.

I think we're fairly aware of the long-term effects of the drug- it's been used in poz guys for almost a decade...

[GermanFucker]

Resistance...It's a GOOD thing.

Prep does not lead to resistance. Resistance develops because of mutagenic pressure. If you're poz, the virus will replicate in your bloodstream. Antiretrovirals supress replication. From time to time mutations happen, but if you're sticking to your dosage schedule, viral activity is low so that it's unlikely these mutations will survive and get a hold in your body. Developing resistance to a certain drug means that one of the mutated viruses is immune to the mode of action of a certain ARV and that this mutation was given a chance to prosper (e.g. by not adhering to therapy guidelines).

Bottom line: you need to carry HIV in order to develop a resistance. If you're not poz, there's no mutagenic pressure working against the meds in your body.

If you're neg and taking PreP as prescribed, one of two things will happen:

1.) HIV enters your bloodstream. Because of the PreP it cannot replicate and will die off shortly thereafter. It cannot build reservoirs in your lymphatic tissue. No infection, no virus remains in your body. No mutagenic pressure, no resistance.

2.) The HIV that enters your system is already resistant to ALL the components of your PreP regimen. Then there is a chance of infection. BUT the virus was already resistant in the first place. Also many cases of multiresistant HIV are often on some kind of salvage therapy, meaning lower viral loads (less likelyhood of infection) whereas HVL fresh infections are mostly "normal", unmutated HIV.

The only real problem is not adhering to your dosage schedule, as with poz guys. Not enough ARVs in your blood mean better chance of infection, and once infected, a better chance for mutations to survive.

As to the issue itself: I think PreP is great because it slows / stops the chain reaction of one guy infecting another one and so on. All the guys doing PreP are working towards a world where HIV has been starved out, and therefore ALL gay sex is bareback again.

[Guest JizzDumpWI]

I may start down rawTOP's path. In my quarterly visit to my favorite STD clinic; they referred me to an ID doc (one of their sponsors) to start PreP. I'll be in touch with him later today; explore the whole process. As a long as affordable; I might be doing the same thing.

[wood]

Im looking into PrEP right now, and everything i have seen basically says this.

If you want to stay neg, and have a habit of risky sexual practices, DO IT!!!

IMO this should be a national health campaign, and it could be one of the single most important tools used to help curb the rate of infection. Condoms, while effective, are not always used as everyone knows, and for many people a pill a day is fairly simple. While many people glamorize HIV in here, I know more than a few people with it, and they all wish they didnt have it.

[rawTOP]

IMO this should be a national health campaign

I'm on PrEP and I disagree. Some people think they're sluts because they have unprotected sex twice a year with guys they know. The potential side effects of PrEP aren't worth the benefits for those people. Better if doctors and STD clinics push it to people who get regular STDs - those are the guys who are really at risk.

I can see an awareness campaign, but I think it should be targeted to gay guys. And it should just be about awareness - not actually encouraging guys to go on it. More like "Do you regularly have risky sex? Talk to your doctor about pills you can take to help you stay HIV negative."

[wood]

I'm on PrEP and I disagree. Some people think they're sluts because they have unprotected sex twice a year with guys they know. The potential side effects of PrEP aren't worth the benefits for those people. Better if doctors and STD clinics push it to people who get regular STDs - those are the guys who are really at risk.

I can see an awareness campaign, but I think it should be targeted to gay guys. And it should just be about awareness - not actually encouraging guys to go on it. More like "Do you regularly have risky sex? Talk to your doctor about pills you can take to help you stay HIV negative."

I disagree because I don't thick awareness campaigns work. There have been a lot of new awareness campaigns over the past few years, yet even with new and better treatment infection rates have largely leveled off. Look at the studies that say that 50% of people off hookup sites admit to having unprotected sex, this despite the fact that people know unprotected sex transmit disease, and that multiple partners increase the risk. Condom fatigue is a real thing, and while I would still encourage condom use, its not always a real world solution. While I agree it should certainly be targeted towards people that consistantly have risky sex, or get STD's, I think it could be a benefit for all. There are tons of stories out there about people getting infected by a partner they they think is being faithful, so its not just people who admit to having risky sex who are becoming infected.

The pill was a huge success for woman in managing pregnancy. For gay men, I see PrEP as the same thing. It is theonly alternative right now that will have a meaningful drop in HIV transmission.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/images/HivFactSheets/ProgressNewinfections.jpg

Edited July 24, 2013 by wood

[rawTOP]

I disagree because I don't thick awareness campaigns work. There have been a lot of new awareness campaigns over the past few years, yet even with new and better treatment infection rates have largely leveled off. Look at the studies that say that 50% of people off hookup sites admit to having unprotected sex, this despite the fact that people know unprotected sex transmit disease, and that multiple partners increase the risk.

The point of an awareness campaign is to make people aware of something they don't know. EVERYONE knows condoms = safer sex so you can't have an awareness campaigns about that anymore. But a lot of people don't know about PrEP - so you can have an awareness campaign about that.

[Guest JizzDumpWI]

To the point of compliance, I know my ID doc will check blood levels regularly and will, through that, have a good sense of compliance. Whether one WILL BE compliant or not varies by individual, which is why projected results are somewhat less than 100%. We see compliance issues with all medications - whether it be Truvada or Blood Pressure, or Herpes meds, or cholesterol meds. Humans are; well, human...

I do take issue with guys who would get a prescription, fill it, and then either discard it; or not take it. I always ask "what's the point"? I don't think it matters a whit if they do or don't choose a particular course of medical intervention. But to knowingly consume and then (dangerously) dump in landfills/lakes/streams is irresponsible; or just the whole waste itself is financially wrong. This of course spans way beyond Truvada...

To rawTOP's excellent point... PrEP is relatively new. Except for here, it has not yet made it as an HIV Status option. More than me will have to "encourage" BBRT, A4A, Squirt, Mancunt to open up their option pool - which will increase awareness.

[youngbahar]

prep doesnt mean you will always be negative

it only reduces the risk you can still be infected

[wood]

prep doesnt mean you will always be negative

it only reduces the risk you can still be infected

Of course. However it still drastically reduces the chance of infection.