Michael Healy-Rae
Question:927. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the drug Truvada could end the HIV pandemic (details supplied). [33525/14]
View answerWednesday, 17 September 2014
Questions (927)
Written answers
HIV is a notifiable disease in Ireland since September 2011 and is transmitted through contact with the blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk of a person infected with HIV. The most common way to get HIV is by having unprotected sex with a person who has HIV. Unprotected sex means not using a condom. Another common way to get HIV is by sharing drug injection equipment (such as needles and syringes) with a person infected with HIV.
Currently there is no vaccine or cure for HIV. However over the last 15 years, a number of drugs have been developed which fight HIV infection. A very effective treatment regimen, namely highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), is widely used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. The term HAART is used to describe a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs. This treatment suppresses the HIV virus and can reverse the damage to the immune system for some time, prolonging the lives of those infected. The virus is continually changing, sometimes becoming resistant to current drugs, so HAART may not be a long-term solution and is not a cure.
Truvada was licensed in 2005 by the European Commission. In July 2012, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the combination drug emtricitabine-tenofovir (Truvada) to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection in those who are at high risk in combination with other preventative measures such as condom use and clean needles. Truvada may also be used as a treatment of HIV in combination with other medications.
The aims of the new National Sexual Health Strategy are to improve sexual health and wellbeing and to reduce negative sexual health outcomes for everyone in Ireland and across the life course, by ensuring access to high quality sexual health information, education and services. This represents the first time that a nationally coordinated approach has been developed to address sexual health and wellbeing. The leadership, governance and coordination required to deliver the overarching goals for the sexual health strategy will be in line with both Future Health and Healthy Ireland and through their emerging structures and mechanisms for implementation.