‘Promiscuity pill’ helps drive first fall in new HIV cases among gay men

♦ New cases of HIV have fallen among gay and bisexual men for the first time, thanks partly to a new drug labelled a “promiscuity pill” by critics.

The 21 per cent decline has been hailed as “one of the most significant advances” in the fight against the epidemic.

Overall there has been an 18 per cent drop in the number of people newly diagnosed with the sexually transmitted disease – 5,164 last year – the biggest fall on record, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The trend was boosted by London where new cases among gay and bisexual men fell 29 per cent. Health officials said the fall was due to more regular and frequent testing, as well as quicker diagnosis and treatment.

The Terrence Higgins Trust, which campaigns on behalf of HIV patients, said access to the new drug PREP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), which the NHS has been legally obliged to start funding, would also contribute to the fall in cases.

The medication, taken as a pill before sex, reduces the risk of infection by around 86 per cent. It is expensive and other patient groups have said funding for their treatments have suffered due to its cost.

Dr Valerie Delpech, from PHE, said: “This is very good news. It is the first time since the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the Eighties that we have observed a decline in new HIV diagnoses among gay and bisexual men and is clear evidence that HIV prevention efforts are working.”

The Terrence Higgins Trust welcomed the statistics, but cautioned that 42 per cent of people with HIV are still being diagnosed late, reducing the efficacy of treatments.