What is Viraday?
Viraday (Prep)
is a medication taken by people who are not infected with the HIV virus before
sex to reduce the risk of getting HIV. The treatment is still being trialed in
England but is widely available in Scotland, Wales, the United States, France,
and Germany.
Studies have
shown that Viraday medication can be up to 90% effective at preventing HIV
infection when taken correctly, and the treatment is currently recommended for
anyone who is HIV negative but at high risk of catching the HIV virus.
Viraday is
normally provided as a pill. See your doctor if you would like to consider
taking Viraday.
In this
article, you’ll learn how Viraday
works and how to access Viraday medication in your country. You’ll also
learn how to make sure Viraday treatments are effective, and who should be
taking Viraday every day.
How does Viraday
work?
Viraday Work
is a preventative treatment, which means
that it does not cure HIV or reverse pre-existing infections. Instead, Viraday
medications reduce the risk of ‘catching’ HIV by blocking the virus before it
can spread in your body.
Viraday
pills normally contain a combination of two antiretroviral drugs like
tenofovir and emtricitabine. Prep inhibit the production of an enzyme called
reverse transcriptase, which the HIV virus needs to replicate itself and start
colonizing your cells.
Antiretroviral
drugs like tenofovir and emtricitabine build up in your blood and tissues over
time, which is why Prep is normally taken for some
time before you engage in activities that may expose you to the HIV virus.
If you do
not take enough of your Viraday medication or you miss several doses of a
prescribed treatment, there may not be enough medicine in your bloodstream to
block the HIV virus.
How effective is Viraday?
If Viraday
medications are taken correctly, studies show that they can be up to 90%
effective at preventing HIV infections.
However,
studies conducted in Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana have also shown that taking
Prep medications incorrectly makes them much less effective.
If you are
taking Viraday
medications, it is important to take them regularly. Missing doses may
increase your chances of catching HIV. This is particularly important if you
are taking Viraday on-demand, as you will take fewer total doses, and missing a
pill means significantly reducing the number of antiviral medications in your
system.
Who should take Viraday?
According to
guidance issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the British Association
for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), and the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), Viraday should be taken by anyone who is at high risk of
contracting HIV.
This includes anyone who:
- is
in an ongoing sexual relationship with someone who is HIV positive
- isn’t
in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone who recently tested HIV-negative
and is a gay or bisexual man who has unprotected anal sex or has been diagnosed
with a sexually transmitted illness over the past six months
- isn’t
in a mutually monogamous relationship with someone who recently tested
HIV-negative and is a heterosexual man or woman who has unprotected sex with
partners whose HIV status is not known, where the partners are also at an
increased risk from HIV
- This also includes men who have sex with men, trans women, trans men, or heterosexual couples where one partner is known to be HIV positive.
- If you are struggling with drug addiction and you are worried about contracting HIV, please see your doctor for advice.
Is there anything I need to do before
I take Viraday?
Before you
can start taking Viraday, you need to be screened for:
kidney
function, to check that your kidneys are functioning properly before you start
taking Viraday
Tablets
the presence
of HIV, because a pre-existing HIV infection should be treated with
antiretroviral therapy
other
sexually transmitted infections
hepatitis B
(HBV) infections
Most Viraday
treatments also help to suppress the hepatitis B virus, but they need to be
taken more carefully, and you will need to be supervised by a medical
professional if you already have HBV.
Your doctor
will be able to order these tests for you. Your local sexual health or GUM
clinic may also be able to help with the STI and HIV tests, or you could use an
at-home testing service. In the United States, for example, myLAB Box delivers
testing kits for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections straight to your
door.
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