World AIDS Day is Sunday. In France, an estimated 170,000 people carry the virus. According to the latest figures from Public Health France, 6,200 people discovered their seropositivity last year. A decrease of 7% compared to last year, and a figure that could decrease further in the coming years thanks to the progress of prevention. To stop the epidemic, condoms are of course the best way to protect themselves, but since 2016, more and more people in France use PrEP, a preventive treatment available on prescription.
"95% effective"
It is given first and foremost to people who are not HIV-infected, do not routinely use condoms during sex, and are at high risk of acquiring HIV. You can take this treatment regularly, one tablet per day, or on demand, ie before and after a risky report. "The effectiveness that we measured is of the order of 95% minimum.There are very few side effects if we take the treatment correctly," says Professor François Dabis, who heads the National AIDS Research Agency.
While some may suffer from some digestive disorders, "it is not a concern that dissuades people who begin PrEP to continue," says François Dabis. To date, 20,000 people take this treatment in France. PrEP costs around 20 euros a month, but it is totally covered by health insurance.