Tuesday, 24th September 2013
The PROUD Study; examining the impact on gay and bisexual men of using Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
What is PrEP?
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a new way to reduce the risk of getting HIV. It involves HIV negative people taking a daily tablet that contains drugs commonly used to treat HIV.
The two-year PROUD study aims to recruit volunteers across England, who will be placed at random into one of two groups. One group will use PrEP from the start of the study, and the other group will receive PrEP after 12 months. Both groups will receive support to remain HIV negative throughout the study.
Participants will be asked to keep a short daily diary, fill out a monthly questionnaire and attend a clinic appointment every three months.
The drug Truvada (which contains tenofovir and emtricitabine, also called FTC) is used in this study. Truvada is already widely used and any side effects are usually mild.
Previous studies with gay men found that using PrEP almost halved HIV infections – and there were even fewer infections amongst men who took their pill every day.
This study is looking at a new way to reduce the risk of getting HIV. It will look at the impact of taking PrEP on how often men have sex; how often they use condoms; and whether they get other sexually transmitted infections.
Volunteer to take part in the study?
- Are you a gay or bisexual man?
- Have you recently had sex without a condom?
- Are you willing to take part in research that aims to reduce your risk of HIV?
Participation is straightforward and won’t take much of your time. Click here to find out more about Volunteering.
If you'd like anymore information about the PROUD study, or how you could get involved, then check out their website here.
