I would like to know why so many people don't know that PrEP and Truvada is the same thing?
PrEP/Truvada : I would like to know why so many... - HIV Partners
PrEP/Truvada
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Positive52
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pauldeclePartnerForumLink
Dear Positive52
The two statements are not interchangeable.
PrEP is an HIV prevention strategy where by an HIV negative person takes antiretroviral medications to prevent HIV taking hold once it has entered the body thus preventing infection.
Truvada is one of many antiretroviral medications that is used to treat HIV infection. Truvada contains two medications, FTC (emtricitabine), and tenofovir (disoproxil fumarate). At the moment Truvada is the only antiretroviral medication that has been licensed to be used for PrEP.
In the future it is lightly that other antiretroviral medications might be licensed to be used for PrEP.
I hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Paul.
What do you mean Not interchangable?
Also, why would anyone take PrEP to curb getting hiv/Aids. It's a form of poison that does harm other organs in your body in time.
I can see why people that already has hiv/aids would be taking these types of drugs, to keep you alive and not allow this virus advance further, thou it is harming their organs as well.
And if you disagree with me, please tell me what's exactly in PrEP and Truvada and explain what these are in a way I'll understand it, another words not in how doctors describe them.
Hi ,
Paul's reply above is a good one .
PrEP and Truvada are not the same thing . PrEP is a course of preventative treatment , Truvada is a drug that is used for the treatment of HIV and Hep B and also in PrEP .
I totally agree with you about the toxicity of HIV drugs . I was on Truvada for five years and it caused cholesterol to rise and kidney function to fall . It is likely that the kidney damage is irreversible .
As for the reasons for PrEP , I suppose the medical profession have to balance the benefits against the drawbacks . It is better overall to prevent infection than have to treat it , as for one thing prevention will stop the spread of infection .
PrEP isn't a HIV cure and all carefree sex like it is portrayed in the media . There are considerable problems with its use , particularly adherence on the part of the user .and the side effects .
Guys who want to use PrEP possibly aren't aware that it will require regular clinic visits and blood tests , and may make them feel like crap and damage their health , and relies on strict adherence or they may acquire a resistant virus .
There is no such thing as a free lunch !
I asked my hiv doctor and one of these Hiv sites on Facebook. I was told by my doctor that PrEP and Truvada is the same thing. The Hiv site, took a while to answer me, but they confirmed what my doctor said as well.
There seems to be some confusion on this. My doctor said both are to control the virus. He said both are the same pill.
Now my doctor has gone to some of the more advance care conventions, and he is one of the leading doctors that has done extreme studying on Hiv/AIDS.
He also said that just because this treatment is working now, doesn't mean it continue to. That is one of the reasons the doctors want to make sure all patients on this treatment is keep a close eye on to monitor their health, just in case it would stop working, so they can catch it in time.
I think you have misunderstood what your doctor has said .
PrEP and Truvada ARE NOT THE SAME .
PrEP is a course of preventative treatment .
Truvada is a drug .
To say that they are the same is like saying that contraception and condoms are the same thing .
I hope this is now clear !
I did not misunderstand! Not only did my doctor say they are the same but also I asked one of the leading sites on Facebook that is addressing PrEP. PrEP and Truvada are the same drug!
Sorry , but you must have misunderstood because PrEP IS NOT A DRUG .
If you don't believe what you are being told here google it .
.
Theoretically, ANY antiretroviral drug can act as PrEP. However in this country, the only drug that is currently licensed for it is Truvada. That may of course change over time.
So the doc IS correct in that right now, PrEP=Truvada in the UK, but the other posters are also correct in saying that the two terms are not interchangeable and other drugs may also be used.
I believe what my doctor tells me and if I could photo copy and put on here what PrEP - HIV Prevention Initiative said, I would.
They are both the same pill.
It's nice to hear people talking honestly about damage meds can do. Especially when all I get is hassle from other poz guys for being 6 years poz and never been on meds. Why take meds when my cd4 is consistantly good. When it chsnges I will start meds. But until then I'll be damned if I'm going to deal with meds damage.
As for the original post. How can "they" tell you why , if they don't know 
Just jessing with ya X
CaveyUK• in reply to
Meds are much safer these days. Suppressing the virus via meds means you can't pass the virus on. Without meds, your immune system could tank at any time, plus some of the problems of the 'old' meds can also be problems of uncontrolled HIV - such as visible body changes etc.
It is completely your choice of course, but with the safety and resistance profile of modern medications (I get more side effects from OTC decongestant pills!), regular monitoring and the psychological boost of being undetectable and not being able to transmit the virus, I would always recommend starting treatment to everyone with no exceptions.
I Completely trust my Clinition and his decisions. I follow his advice in every way.
Dear Poitive52 , how do we get it through to you that PrEP and Travuda ARE NOT THE SAME THING !
Your last comment you refer to PrEP as a " pill " - it is not a pill it is not a drug . PrEP is the abbreviation of Pre Exposure Prophylaxis . Pre , meaning first or before . Exposure , meaning open to . Prophylaxis , meaning prevention of disease .
PrEP is the abbreviated medical term for , and means " before exposure to disease " . Example ; brushing your teeth is a form of PrEP , which is clearly not the same as Truvada . PrEP is the term for a course of action , Truvada is the name of a drug .
If you still don't understand either our communication skills or your comprehension are lacking !
You can get all bent out of shape, swear, call me names. According to my doctor and PrEP- HIV Prevention Initiative it is the same. You can claim it is what you said, but it still comes down to when everything is presented, that PrEP and Truvada is the same thing.
Yes they are using them for different reasons, but it is the same pill that you swallow each day according to what your doctor is prescribing you how to take it.
And I know what PrEP stands for, that doesn't mean it's not what's in Truvada. Look into what is in Truvada and compare it to what is in PrEP.
I think just because of the name being PrEP, and how it works to keep the virus at bay so your not exposed to it, but the pill your taking has the same ingredients as what's in Truvada.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is the preemptive use of drugs to prevent disease in people who have not yet been exposed to the disease-causing agent.
In particular, the term is used to refer to the use of antiviral drugs that attack the life cycle of the HIV virus as a strategy for the prevention of HIV/AIDS. PrEP is an optional treatment which may be taken by people who are HIV negative, but who have substantial, higher-than-average risk of contracting an HIV infection. Currently, the only drug which any health organization recommends for HIV/AIDS PrEP is Truvada, which is the brand name of the Gilead Sciences drug combination of tenofovir/emtricitabine. The Centers for Disease Control says that "PrEP is a powerful HIV prevention tool and can be combined with condoms and other prevention methods to provide even greater protection than when used alone". However, people who use PrEP must commit to taking the drug every day and seeing their health care provider for follow-up every three months.
That is a good reply .
The original poster is convinced that PrEP is a pill or drug .
In the context of preventing HIV infection using a condom is also PrEP - clearly NOT the same as Truvada !
Okay when I asked my doctor if PrEP and Truvada was the same, he was basically telling the truth. I understand what PrEP stands for, but the treatment it self is Truvada. That is why he answered the way he did.
Anyone that is trying to prevent getting hiv/AIDS is taking Truvada.
And anyone that already has hiv/AIDS is also taking Truvada. Now I understand others are taking other pills but they all have Truvada in them.
This misconception is what PrEP stands for the actually treatment is that they are using Truvada as the pill to prevent it.
That is why my doctor and PrEP - Hiv Prevention Initiative is saying that the treatment for PrEP and what people with hiv/AIDS are taking is Truvada. So it is one and the same that people don't have it and those that do, is taking Truvada.
Okay the two names PrEP and Hiv/Aids are the names of what it is. Both are taking Truvada. That is my point.
A lot of people trying to prevent getting hiv/AIDS don't understand that the same treatment/pill is being used also to treat people that already have hiv/AIDS.
You can use any form of Titles but it comes down to, both treatments/pill(s) is Truvada.
Yep...
Paul, can ask why after this whole discussion you now decide to agree? I might have had the Titles and concept of what PrEP and Hiv is, but you had to have know when I said both treatments was with the use of Truvada. This is when confusion comes in and why so many people think the two are not related. Both use Truvada in preventing the spread of hiv/AIDS.
Actually now that I think about it, is these treatments for our benefits to keep us alive or just so we don't spread the virus to others thru sex? Be damn that it's damaging our bodies in the long term use of it!
Here it is Griffon, thou at the time of this conversation you were trying to tell me that Truvada and Prep wasn’t the same drug being used.
This is what you said just now , quote ; " Just like you trying to tell me that Truvada and what people is using for PrEP isn't the same drug " . My reply is that if someone is prescribed Truvada then that is what they are using . Please read what you have written carefully , I think you have confused your meaning .
Whilst on the subject , Truvada is NOT the same thing as PrEP . Truvada is the brand name of a drug . PrEP is the preventative treatment of a disease . Please look up the definition of PrEP . Inoculation with a vaccine is also PrEP , this is clearly NOT Truvada !
As I said science is based on fact . If you can not grasp these facts please do not present misinformation to people who are already scared witless as fact .
You are doing it again. I never said The definition of Prep is Trudava. I said the treatment of both Prep and someone that is Hiv is Trudava.
What gets me is you know damn well what I mean and you keep on twisting my words.
I didn’t appreciate you doing that!
I think you need to re read what you have typed .
Again, you know what I mean. You sure your not a Trump supporter? You sound like you like to bully just like he does.
Hahaha !
I have been very gentle with you .
Bully. I don’t like you.
I'm sorry you feel like that .
However I'm not here to be liked . I came here to try and help people , even if that means disagreeing with them .
It is important that all information given out is factual , as any that is incorrect can be very damaging .
Well then you shouldn’t be given out shit. Know all your facts instead of what your just reading about Milwaukee, WI.
You don’t know shit!!!
By the way how far are you from North Korea? Trump going nuck them soon. Hope your ready. I’m actually not kidding. He’s totally insane!
So please enlighten me ! I am happy to learn . What have I said that is not correct ?
Let me throw my learned hat in the proverbial! Positive52, I hear your anguish. Yes, basically you are right, it is the same pill. Whatever you want to call it Truvada is Truvada - one pill given for either end of the journey as it were.
PrEP is hard work for guys to adhere to. Unlike us taking that tablet each day for prevention doesnt hold as much importance as taking it to stay well. I personally don't endorse its use. Not for any ill will, but simply appreciating the difficulties of adherence, the side effects of Truvada (spent five years of destroying my kidneys - irreversible too!) are wide ranging. My husband is neg but we have discussed PrEP several times, even before it was licensed in the UK as treatment, but have decided against it.
I, like many others pos in the 80s, have tried or trialled many drugs over the past 32 years. The 1st AZT trials were HORRENDOUS for some, I chose to avoid AZT and didnt really consider starting treatment until I had been pos for 15 years and feeling slightly poorly. Remember, in the great scheme of things, although our knowledge of HIV is extensive now, the drugs are still relatively very new.
👍
This is what I don't understand. Why is the health community pushing for people to use Truvada to prevent them from getting hiv/AIDS? We long term survives of hiv/AIDS know that using these drugs, in the long term DO DAMAGE OUR BODIES. These drugs are not like AZT in the 80's, that were so strong with a form of poison that it killed us quickly, thou according to the doctors then it was better than no treatment. Just like you, I refused treatment. I had a doctor yell at me because I won't follow his treatment and I got to say even know after being on the pills, I question if they are actually helping me or damaging me in the long term with what they are doing to my body.
When people here and elsewhere say that Truvada isn't a poison, they are wrong. It's just not like AZT was, but it's still doing major damage to our bodies just more long term. That's why it sort of angers me that doctors are promoting Truvada to use with people that don't have the disease to prevent from getting the disease. It's different with us, because it's supposedly keeping us alive, thou as said before I do question that as well considering I was healthy over 15 years without any form of treatment. I only got on the treatment because my doctor convince me, that the pills would keep me alive longer.
It's strange thou, since being on them I got anal cancer, Thinning of my bones, consistly keeping track of my kidney functions, and in general not feeling so good. I have bouts with bowel problems, and the foods I eat. And even thou these pills are supposedly keeping me alive, I strongly feel like they are destroying my body at the same time.
• in reply toPositive52
You might notice I posted a reply about being or not being on meds. How I am not after 6 years. That I get a lot of hassle from other poz guys for not being on meds. They emphasis the need to be undetectable.
I have never had unprotected sex since disgnosis. I also don't feel the need to put medicines in my body until I truly need them. My clinic AGREE
In fact! It's my clinic who want to keep me off them.
I think at times we all tend to forget that yes, we all have HIV, yes we are all human beings BUT, at the same time we are all different genetically.
I am very well and my counts reflect that.
One minute people are being honest about their disturbing meds side effects, next minute there is someone preaching that today's meds have virtually none.
Strange that , when I have friends on modern meds blacking out, passing out, have various problems, kidney and liver problems and issues with fat deposits on their hips and backs.
I just wanted to add this. Instead of us nagging eachother or who is right , how about we try and understand each individual's case and situation.
Love and peace X
Positive52• in reply to
I think part of the problem is that the side effects of the drugs may be dismissed by doctors as not being related to taken the drugs.
For sample, I had anus cancer. No one knows why I got it. Thou as a younger gay guy I experimented, and one was with fist fucking. It appears I got a fisher and that's where they said my cancer started from.
Now up to a year before this happened, I was on no meds. My T-cells were like 950 and was undetected. After years of being badgered by the doctors and others I decided to give the pills a try. Dumbest thing I did. Why I ask myself a lot these days. Pure pressure!
About a year later, I find a tumor and it's cancerous. Chemo and radiation, and then couple years pass and then I start having trouble with my left leg.
Now my Chemo, Radiation, and Hiv doctors don't know which one has caused damage to my hip. Each point the finger at each other.
Then I take a fall and lose two inches in height. Now I'm told I have Osteoporosis. Asked how I have this? Again each blames the other.
Can't tell me what is causing this. I have other medicate conditions, the doctors can't say where I got them.
Yea right! I know where all the problems started.
Me being pressured into taking these fucking pills that suppose to be keeping me alive longer.
My question is, at what price am I taking these pills to live longer considering what the long term effects are.
And who's going take care of me when these so called side effects totally ruin my organs and make me a cripple.
Oh I forgot to tell you, since that fall, now they want to infusion my back together.
Where does it end?
• in reply toPositive52
There will be many people who will disagree.
The problem is knowing what the best thing to do is , the advice given by professionals and social expectation.
For example , my family hear the word HIV and cannot get there head around why I'm not yet on meds as their mindset tells them if I don't take them I'm going to die of AIDS very soon.
Then we have people who have been advised to take meds. We are all frightened when told were poz and if your tOld the best thing to do is start straight away, at the delicate emotional time who is going to say no?
Then there's people who qoute the start study results saying meds straight away is the best option.
I think one big problem is it takes a lot of courage to start meds as well as a lot of courage to not be on them. When a person on meds comes across someone who is not, it contradicts their tough decision to start meds and trust their clinic. Same way for some one who is not on meds being challenged by those who are not.
As for cancer, who is to say you wouldn't have got it if you were negative? As my understanding is that most cancers and genetic, hence some families having a history of cancer in the fsmily.
HPV virus is common amongst those with a weakened immune system and is known to be a trigger when present anally. But again ... Is it anything to do with being poz? Snything to do with meds? Anything to do with genes.
There's no true answer. What is hard is knowing that we all have to eventually pass away from something... And it's s nightmare to ponder on if we are self inducing illness via meds or no meds.
I think ultimately it's a case of respecting each persons individual care plan, decisions and choices.
Each to their own as per say.
Again, I won't be putting antiretroviral meds in my body until my counts change for the worse.
That does not make me wrong or right... We are all doing what's best for ourselves.
I wish you very well positive52. I feel your frustration and hurt. Hugs to you xx
• in reply to
And yes there is peer pressure to start meds.
I get none from my clinic!
All the pressure I get is from poz men who are on meds.
It amuses me that I don't advocate being med free I don't encourage people to be med free
All I ever "preach" is to ask and understand why someone is not on meds
I am often preached at that I SHOULD be on meds and that I will not be able to transmit the virus
As if I don't know what a god dam condom is
Lol
I have been using Truvada [which is equal in chemical component with preP in the UK] one tablet a day [that is it has emtricitabine and tenofovir] since May 2013 for HIV [detected 7 months prior]. I have always been healthy and I still am healthy, no blood pressure, no cholesterol, no diabetes etc. Kidney, heart, liver all seem to be fine as I have 6 monthly tests. I always am within my weight according to BMI and eat healthily and drink responsively and have sex without discrimination [flaw!] as long as it is legal and is with consenting adults. I used to jog but I now walk probably 10-20 miles a week at least since I am in my mid-fifties. I guess this answers some myths about HIV treatment, preP and their consequences.
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