PrEP POSTERS IN MELBOURNE CBD SHOW THE APPROVAL PROCESS CAN’T KEEP UP WITH COMMUNITY DEMAND

Posters advocating for pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (PrEP) were distributed in Melbourne’s CBD today by a
group of activists, highlighting growing community demand for this effective HIV-prevention method. The Victorian AIDS Council (VAC)
and Living Positive Victoria said the community response to the posters shows how now more than ever, people at risk of HIV need access
to PrEP in Australia.
If taken as prescribed, PrEP is a proven, highly effective HIV-prevention method—throughout numerous, rigorous and scientific studies
there have been no recorded transmissions of HIV to a person using PrEP as prescribed.
“This is a passionate issue for our community, and the vocal response to the posters’ strong language demonstrates that,” said VAC’s
acting CEO Kent Burgess.
“PrEP is an effective HIV-prevention tool, and we still have a lot of work to do to inform the community about how it works. We have some
concerns about how the posters might stigmatise gay sex and people living with HIV through simplistic, inflammatory language, but one
message is clear: our community wants and needs PrEP.”
PrEP has not yet been approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, and so is not currently subsidised
through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Some Australians currently have access to PrEP through clinical trials, while others
are purchasing PrEP through overseas websites, using ‘off-label’ prescriptions from informed GPs.
“We’ve been working with the government to get PrEP approved in Australia for some time now, but the process is too slow—unless TGA
approval is fast-tracked, PrEP might not be approved before 2017,” said Burgess.
Chief Executive Officer for Living Positive Victoria, Brent Allan commented; “Living Positive Victoria strongly supports community efforts
to see PrEP made available in Australia. We know all too well the impact that an HIV diagnosis has, and the long-term challenges of living
with a serious illness and combating the stigma that surrounds HIV. That’s why we support increased testing, early treatment, and the full
range of HIV prevention technologies including condoms and PrEP.
“PrEP isn’t about giving gay men a licence to ‘fuck raw’, it’s about putting them in control of their sexual health by ensuring that they have
the tools they need to stay HIV negative. It’s also about breaking down the barriers between positive and negative men, reducing anxiety
about HIV, and challenging stigma.
Referring to this latest activism, Mr Allan continued, “While we have concerns about the appropriateness of the messages conveyed by
this campaign, we think it shows the level of interest in and demand for more effective HIV prevention in our community.
“And though I am not sure that having a discussion about PrEP on the streets of Melbourne is the best place, it’s pretty clear that we
cannot ignore this call to action, and we have no desire to silence those who rightly demand access to lifesaving forms of proven HIV
prevention. Both state and federal governments should consider their own capacity to act and make PrEP available.”
For more information about PrEP and about what VAC is doing to help make it available visit: www.vac.org.au/prep
For a PrEP guide for HIV positive people from Living Positive Victoria, head to: www.livingpositivevictoria.org.au/announcements/prep-aguide-
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