Gay-rights group backs use of HIV-prevention pill

Source: AP-Excite

By DAVID CRARY

NEW YORK (AP) — The largest U.S. gay-rights organization Saturday endorsed efforts to promote the use of a once-a-day pill to prevent HIV infection and called on insurers to provide more generous coverage of the drug.

Some doctors have been reluctant to prescribe the drug, Truvada, on the premise that it might encourage high-risk, unprotected sexual behavior. However, its preventive use has been endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and many HIV/AIDS advocacy groups

The Human Rights Campaign, which recently has been focusing its gay-rights advocacy on same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination issues, joined those ranks with the release of a policy paper strongly supporting the preventive use of Truvada. It depicted the drug as "a critically important tool" in combatting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"HRC does not take this position lightly," the policy paper said. "We recognize there is still ongoing debate ... and that there are those out there who will disagree with our stance."

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20141018/us--hiv_prevention_drug-c403537320.html

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Original time posted on AP: Oct 18, 12:46 PM (ET) It's a pain in the ass, but what else are we going to do? Some people want to wine (edit: piss and moan) about anything I do these days.