Michael^ Moloney/ShutterstockTHE VALUE OF VIGILANCE
Conner says. “I was carrying a flask in my
purse.” Conner eventually stabilized her
life, and in 2014, after struggling with the
disease for years, she began advocating for
people living with HIV. In addition to host-
ing her podcast, she travels the country and
speaks at conferences and schools. “I gear
a lot toward motivating people,” she says.
“If they can change their mindset, they can
change their lives.”WITH ANY HUMAN DISEASE, the end goal is
eradication. And yet, as far as HIV treatments
have advanced in the past three-plus decades
(there are numerous options for once-a-day
pills that come with minimal side effects),
there are still two key ingredients missing: a
vaccine and a cure. Experts have researched
the efficacy of a vaccine for years but have
made limited progress. A cure, on the other
hand, appears to be within reach.
In March of this year, physicians in
Europe seemingly eliminated HIV from an
unidentified patient via stem cell therapy,
a procedure in which a batch of healthy
cells are transfused into a patient’s blood-
stream. The transplant had actually been
intended, first and foremost, to treat the
patient’s blood cancer. The patient had
also long been HIV-positive; as such, doc-
tors selected a specific batch of donor cells
that were naturally resistant to the virus.
The treatment was successful in addressing
both ailments, and 18 months after having
voluntarily stopped his HIV meds, no trace
of the virus remained in the patient’s body.
It was the second time this type of therapy
had effectively cured someone living with
HIV. (In 2008, an American man, also with
blood cancer, received stem cell therapy in
Berlin; he experienced similar results and is
still HIV-free today.) “This demonstrates
that it is possible to cure,” says Dr. Thomas
Campbell, an internal medicine doctor and
infectious disease specialist at the Univer-
sity of Colorado Hospital. “But the big
caveat is that the treatment is not some-
thing that is applicable to the vast majority
of people because of safety and cost.”
There is, however, one newer medica-
tion that has been able to reach a broader
population in the recent past. Doctors are
now regularly prescribing a preventive drug
called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis)
to people at risk of contracting HIV. It’s aThe ABCs Of PrEP
First developed in the early 2000s
as an HIV treatment medication, the
FDA approved Truvada for use as a
preventive drug in 2012. (The FDA
recently approved a generic version
of the PrEP medication as well, but it
won’t be on the market until 2020.)
Adoption was slow, but by 2015, pre-
scriptions had increased substantially.
“There’s really overwhelming data
that shows how effective it is,” says
Denver Health’s Rowan, “especially
for people who take it regularly.”
Here, a look at PrEP.WHAT: A pill taken once a day that targets the
early stages of the HIV replication cycle.HOW: Essentially, PrEP (pre-exposure prophy-
laxis) blocks HIV from replicating. If the virus
can’t replicate, it can’t take hold and cause an
infection, and it eventually dies.WHO: The CDC recommends PrEP for “people
who are HIV-negative and in an ongoing sexual
relationship with an HIV-positive partner” as well
as for gay men and heterosexual men and wom-
en who do not “regularly use condoms during
sex with partners of unknown HIV status.” (Note:
The CDC highly recommends the use of con-
doms.) PrEP is also recommended for those who
have injected drugs or shared needles within the
past six months. For more information on who
should take PrEP, visit cdc.gov/hiv.COST: PrEP runs approximately $1,500 per
month. Almost all insurance carriers cover the
drug, including Medicaid. For people who are
uninsured or underinsured, there are patient
assistance programs through the drug manu-
facturer as well as state assistance programs.
“There’s no financial reason why anyone in
Colorado should not be on PrEP,” Rowan says.SIDE EFFECTS: A minority of PrEP patients have
experienced small changes in kidney function
and bone density. However, there’s no evidence
of long-term damage; the side effects reversed
in patients who stopped taking the medication.COMING SOON: In some European countries,
PrEP is approved for on-demand use—taking
two pills before and two pills after engaging
in risky sexual behavior. It’s possible this
“intermittent use” could soon be approved
in the United States.CONTINUED FROM PAGE 81