Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and HIV Prevention

Part of 2. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 3:11 pm on 17 October 2018.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 3:11, 17 October 2018

Can I concur with Dai Lloyd's comments and also welcome the news that the trials appear to have been successful? It seems a long time since those diagnosed with HIV, back when the condition first became known about back in the 1980s, didn't really have any hope. So, the fact that we are now not just having treatment drugs but preventative drugs like this must be welcomed.

From my understanding of the PrEP treatment, it's not just a case of it being taken sporadically, but it has to be taken consistently, and I think with regular medical check-ups every three months to make sure that the effectiveness is being maintained. So, can you tell us, as well as those who have been treated successfully and taken the drugs, what are you doing not only to raise awareness about this type of treatment for those for whom it's suitable, but also to make sure that HIV sufferers who are taking it realise the importance of maintaining that medication so that it's as effective as possible?