PrEP, a preventive treatment to avoid becoming infected with HIV, should be widely offered to people at risk, and not just to men who have had multiple homosexual relationships, health authorities said Wednesday, November 20, as part of new recommendations.
This preventive treatment should be extended “to all situations considered to be at risk of exposure to HIV, regardless of the person’s gender and sexual orientation,” according to the High Health Authority (HAS), in collaboration with the National AIDS Research Institute. . Agency – Emerging Infectious Diseases (ANRS-MIE), and the National AIDS Council (CNS).
These are new treatment recommendations to prevent and control HIV infection, of which AIDS is the final stage. Today, “almost all prescriptions” for PrEP refer to “men who have sex with men (MSM) with multiple partners,” say health authorities, who call for expanding the treatment.
“Strengthen prevention and screening actions”
Furthermore, although almost a quarter of infections are discovered at a late stage in France, it is necessary to “strengthen specific and repeated prevention and detection actions in the most exposed populations, while maintaining systematic detection in the general population “.
“After a sexual exposure accident, a sequence between post-exposure treatment and pre-exposure preventive treatment is recommended,” these recommendations continue.
Regarding pregnancy, “it is essential that every pregnant woman living with HIV benefits from long-term antiretroviral treatment for her own health, to prevent sexual transmission and transmission from mother to child.”
“Breastfeeding is now possible for women who wish to do so, if virological control is optimal,” while “antiviral prophylaxis in infants” can be continued throughout breastfeeding “to prevent any risk of residual transmission.”
“Optimal virological control in the mother eliminates the risk of HIV transmission to the child during pregnancy and childbirth,” the authorities indicate.
Antiretroviral treatment
Finally, the early initiation of antiretroviral treatment in a person living with HIV “is of great interest to reduce morbidity and mortality” associated with the virus, prevent its transmission and “improve or maintain quality of life.”
If it should generally be “initiated within 14 days of the announcement of the initial diagnosis of HIV infection”, it can also be “initiated without delay, particularly in the case of primary infection or discovery of HIV infection during pregnancy in the third trimester”. .
Source: BFM TV
