3. The Dawn of PrEP
Results from the iPrEX trial, the first major study to show that daily Truvada (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine) dramatically reduces the risk of HIV in gay and bisexual men and transgender women, were reported in 2010. Subsequent studies showed that pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, reduces the risk of acquiring the virus by more than 99%. Five years later, French researchers reported that “on-demand” PrEP taken before and after sex—now known as PrEP 2-1-1—is also effective. The Food and Drug Administration approved daily Truvada for PrEP in 2012. In 2019, the agency approved a second PrEP option, Descovy (tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine). However, the approval did not include people who have vaginal or frontal sex because the major trial of the med excluded cisgender women and trans men. Click here to learn more about the differences between Truvada and Descovy.
