Study: Use of PrEP drug could lower herpes infection rates

The use of HIV drug Truvada as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to prevent HIV infection, could also lower the infection rates of genital herpes.

Despite claims by opponents that introducing PrEP as a preventative measure against new HIV infections could increase STI infection rates, a study of 131 hetrosexual couples in serodiscordent relationships, meaning one partner is HIV positive, and the other is HIV negative, found a 30% reduction in herpes infection rates whilst taking the medication.

The couples, in Uganda and Kenya, were almost a third less likely to become infected with the HSV-2 strain of herpes.

The use of Truvada as PrEP, has seen support from organisations such as the Centers for Disease Control in the US, which issued recommendations that PrEP could play an important role in the prevention of HIV transmission.

• TV
• Dec 16 2023

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