June 26, 2011

How Far Would You Go to Prevent HIV? A Community Forum on PrEP- June 29, 2011 at 6:30 PM

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Join us for How Far Would You Go to Prevent HIV? A Community Forum on PrEP Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at the DC Center for the LGBT Community, 1318 U Street NW. Reception with light refreshments begins at 6:30 PM. The forum will start promptly at 7:00 PM and will be moderated by CAAPE member Matthew Rose, also with The National Coalition for LGBT Health.

Featured panelists include:

• Justin Goforth, RN, Director, Whitman-Walker's Medical Adherence Unit and STD Services

• Gregorio Millett, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of National AIDS Policy

Recent research results shows promise for a new HIV prevention strategy called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. PrEP involves HIV-negative people at risk for HIV using antiretroviral medications (ARVs) to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

The iPrEx trial results released in November 2010 and showed that in gay men, transgender women and other men who have sex with men, daily TDF/FTC (tenofovir disoproxyl fumarate plus emtricitabine also known as Truvada) reduced the risk of acquiring HIV by 44 percent. Additional studies are ongoing in other populations.

This drug combination is not yet approved for the purpose of preventing HIV. Given that the iPrEx trial tested an already licensed drug, there is the potential for immediate, off-label use. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued interim guidance on PrEP as an HIV prevention strategy for men who have sex with men.

Join us for a panel and community forum and discussion on PrEP. There are strong opinions about PrEP and we hope to represent a wide variety of views and have a meaningful conversation that moves this discussion forward.