#1
Posted: 6/18/14 at 1:44pm
The NYTimes Opinion Pages "Room for Debate" section takes on the issue of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (taking a pill a day to prevent HIV infection), a topic we've discussed on here. The headline given the section is off, no one is suggesting that "a pill a day is enough to fight HIV," but that's how they framed it. Dr. Ken Mayer has always been my go-to source as I educated myself on the issue, because he has been on the front lines of this research from the beginning.
But what would any discussion about this be without the voice of Larry Kramer? His piece is called "We don't know the full story yet," which is true, but you don't ever know the full story when researching and developing new tools. That's the point. At least this time he manages not to call the heroes who have pitched in on this "cowards.' He *does* seem to conflate PrEP with PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis, given for a month after a person has been exposed to HIV). Naturally, his homophobia is there, too. He makes it clear the exact circumstances he finds the notion of PEP palatable: "Truvada could be useful for health care professionals who are exposed to H.I.V., as a prophylactic day-after pill." Yes, Larry. That has been the protocol for YEARS, I've done it myself even though I wasn't an innocent health care worker, but rather a murderous/suicidal gay man who had a condom failure! I presume that's how he would describe me.
Anyhoo, here's the page… something to talk about this Pride month.
Room for debate
But what would any discussion about this be without the voice of Larry Kramer? His piece is called "We don't know the full story yet," which is true, but you don't ever know the full story when researching and developing new tools. That's the point. At least this time he manages not to call the heroes who have pitched in on this "cowards.' He *does* seem to conflate PrEP with PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis, given for a month after a person has been exposed to HIV). Naturally, his homophobia is there, too. He makes it clear the exact circumstances he finds the notion of PEP palatable: "Truvada could be useful for health care professionals who are exposed to H.I.V., as a prophylactic day-after pill." Yes, Larry. That has been the protocol for YEARS, I've done it myself even though I wasn't an innocent health care worker, but rather a murderous/suicidal gay man who had a condom failure! I presume that's how he would describe me.
Anyhoo, here's the page… something to talk about this Pride month.
Room for debate
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Updated On: 6/18/14 at 01:44 PM
