Report: Another Man Diagnosed With HIV While Taking PrEP

Health officials in Washington State report a local man has been diagnosed with HIV while taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).

The Seattle & King County’s Public Health Department reports the unnamed man was infected with a rare strain of HIV resistant to the medications in Truvada, the drug’s commercial name.

No details are available on whether he took the medication regularly.

If taken correctly, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV by up to 99%.

From OutBreakNewsToday:

Truvada as HIV PrEP is very effective if taken consistently. It reduces the risk of acquiring HIV through sex by over 90%, and perhaps by over 95%. It is also more than 70% effective in preventing HIV infections transmitted through sharing injection equipment. So while it is very effective, like many drugs, it is not 100% effective.

There have been very few reports of HIV infections while taking PrEP.

An Australian man participating in a PrEP clinical trial became infected in 2017 with a drug-resistant strain of HIV.

Also last year, a Dutch man was diagnosed with HIV but doctors there speculate that his “remarkably high” number of sex partners might have been a factor in his infection.

The Centers for Disease Control recommended in 2015 that sexually active gay and bisexual men, or about one in four, be on PrEP.