Scotland became the first part of the United Kingdom to approve the consumption of PrEP drug for HIV prevention. PrEP cannot be easily accessed but the Scottish Medicines Consortium announced their latest medical advancement that can potentially reduce HIV cases.
PrEP, which is also known as the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, can significantly reduce the person's HIV risk. The new drug Truvada is already available in various countries. Most of which are from areas with groups and communities that are at risk of having HIV, BBC reported.
"Though we were jubilant when, following our two successful court cases, NHS England agreed steps to fund PrEP, we remain concerned that, since that date, progress towards the ultimate goal of PrEP in England has been slow," Deborah Gold, NAT's chief executive stated. "It is difficult not to think of the possible thousands of HIV diagnoses that could have been prevented had the NHS in England not prevaricated, and we urge them to pursue the promised trial with appropriate urgency."
More than 5,000 people in the United Kingdom are infected with HIV, marjority of which are men, according to The Guardian. The number of HIV positive individuals continually rise as the years passed. There are several contributing factors liked to the increase, one of which is the fact that most HIV positive individuals tend to stay silent instead of seeking help.
Contrary to the widespread of HIV in the U.K., health care providers in the U.S. remained to be positive that they can potentially wipe out the virus, as per Independent. HIV cases in the United States significantly dropped by 2017, leaving a ray of hope for medical advancement in terms of eradicating the virus. Buying HIV medication online positively impacted the HIV population, as some are shy to go out into the open, and would still opt for a cure.