As HIV becomes a hot topic of interest these days, it is just but inevitable to say that the stigma is still there despite the continuous efforts to spread awareness. Last 2014, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has presented a plan, known as "Ending the Epidemic in New York State," which calls for an urgent action of reducing the number of new HIV infections from an estimated 3,000 to just 750 by the year 2020 and as well as achieving the first-ever decrease in HIV prevalence in the state. That said, a significant number of experts have already suggested the use of an pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an HIV prevention option for people who don't have HIV but who are at high risk of becoming infected with HIV.

Reducing HIV Risk

In one of his statements reported by Press Connects, Scott Rosman, NP-c, AAHIVS, Clinical Director of the UHS HIV Program at UHS Binghamton Primary Care has recently claimed that PrEP is a daily medicine that can reduce a person's chance of getting the virus. The drug is known to have the ability to stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout the body. Additionally, the daily use of PrEP is found to reduce the risk of contracting the virus from sex by more than 90 percent and, among people who inject drugs, by more than 70 percent.

Furthermore, according to reports revealed by AIDS Info, in the US, HIV is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment, such as needles, with someone who has HIV. Thus, it is just but important to take note of the need to use condoms correctly every time you have vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Experts have also explained that while mmucous membranes are found inside the rectum, the vagina, the opening of the penis, and the mouth, HIV transmission is only possible if these fluids come in contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or are directly injected into the bloodstream either from a needle or syringe.

Call To Action

As of the press time, the UHS is collaborating with the New York State and Broome County health departments to spread awareness to the public about the availability of PrEP, in line with the governor's three-point plan to halt the AIDS epidemic in the Empire State. The clinical director of the UHS HIV Program has also revealed that "Ending the Epidemic" is maximizing the availability of lifesaving, transmission-interrupting treatment for HIV, saving lives and improving the health of New Yorkers.