Giving HIV drugs to HIV-negative gay men could help turn the tide against the epidemic

Giving HIV drugs to HIV-negative gay men could help turn the tide against the epidemic in certain areas, according to a new study. According to a study funded by Public Health England and published this week in the journal The Lancet, the prophylactic use of HIV drugs could prevent a huge number of new HIV infections in high-risk gay men.

Attempts to prevent HIV transmission in the UK have long focused on

consistent condom use, but these methods have proven insufficient in reducing HIV transmissions in gay men, according to the study. The drug — known as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) — is specifically designed for people who do not have HIV and works to keep the virus from taking hold if a person is exposed to HIV through sex or intravenous drug use.

Scientists analysed the effects of different HIV prevention methods used in gay men living in the UK between the ages of 15 to 64 — including increasing HIV testing, reducing the number of sexual partners and the use of PrEP. Using a mathematical analysis, researchers then assessed the probability of transmission based on the amount of HIV genetic material in blood samples taken from participants.

"Without PrEP, HIV incidence in men who have sex with men in the UK is unlikely to decrease substantially by the end of this decade," the study states..

In the UK, HIV transmission in gay men has shown no sign of decreasing in the past decade, and in London alone, one in eight gay men is HIV positive.

PrEP is not yet available on the NHS, but some men are buying the drug privately from clinics in the UK and online.

HIV advocacy groups have hailed the new study as "important" and are calling for PrEP to be made available on the NHS.