CALIFORNIA, USA — December 1 is World Aids Day. It's a day to raise awareness of the disease and get rid of the stigma surrounding the nearly 40 million people living with it today.
It's also a good time to talk about HIV PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis. This medication can highly reduce a person's chance of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.
It's for patients who are high-risk but HIV-negative. The CDC defines high risk as someone who may have a partner who is HIV positive, engages in unprotected sex, or was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the last six months.
The Sacramento County Sexual Health Clinic offers two types of PrEP, a daily oral pill or a bi-monthly injection called Apretude. The pill can cause trouble for some because if just one dose is missed, the protection is greatly reduced.
"If you're having trouble remembering taking your oral medications on a daily basis, but you continue to experience a high risk for HIV then Apretude might be suitable for you. Of course like with all medications, you do need to discuss with your provider if the medication is right for you," ABC10 Health Expert Dr. Sristi Sharma said.
Sharma said many are not aware that Apretude is free for the insured and uninsured at the clinic. It's also covered under Medi-Cal. She suggests reaching out to the clinic and discussing options.
There are other ways to protect yourself from HIV. Sharma suggests staying aware of your status, using protection when engaging in sexual acts, and never sharing needles.
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