Wales to lead research into HIV prevention

WALES is set to become one of the first countries to robustly examine the use of a new HIV prevention strategy that has been rolled out across the world.

Dr David Gillespie, deputy director of Cardiff University’s Infections, Inflammation and Immunity Division, will lead the research after winning a Health Research Fellowship award funded by the Welsh Government.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a prevention strategy in which HIV-negative people take drugs, usually used to treat HIV, to reduce their risk of becoming infected with the disease. It is for people who are at increased risk of getting HIV from their sexual behaviour or their potential exposure to the infection.

Dr Gillespie said: “While the PrEP drugs are proven to reduce the chance of HIV-acquisition by up to 86%, there has been very little evaluation of how these drugs are being used in conjunction with sexual behaviour over time, and whether their use can be improved.”

Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport, Vaughan Gething, announced his decision to make PrEP available across Wales as part of a three-year trial period in 2017.

The study will monitor the extent to which patients take their medication as prescribed, recording factors such as when a medication is started after being prescribed, the length of time the medication is taken for, and whether the person has engaged in any behaviour which might have exposed them to HIV.

Dr Gillespie said: “Taking PrEP as prescribed is essential for its effectiveness. However, the majority of guidance material being used in practice has been informed by antiretroviral therapy for HIV treatment rather than HIV prevention. Our new research uniquely centres on developing guidance that aims to optimise the use of PrEP.”

Professor Kerry Hood, director of the Centre for Trials Research, said: “This will be world-leading research that can influence the services for people at risk of developing HIV.”