NHS Scotland has decided to move ahead with offering PrEP, and looks to be starting a trial in the next few weeks. With Scotland going ahead, it makes it harder for other countries justify being unable to offer it.
Porn4PrEP has worked with Public Health England, who were given responsibility from NHS England, to organise roll-out plans for PrEP. With community feedback groups, Public Health England developed a strategy to do so. Unfortunately, without the same resources as NHS England, they struggled to gain access to PrEP.
This news from Scotland makes it harder for NHS England to deny PrEP as an effective sexual health tool in the UK. Up to this point, Gilead has not reduced the cost price for PrEP enough, leading to ‘administration trials’ offering generic PrEP at lower costs.
Robert McKay, national director for Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland, said:
Today, Scotland has made history in the fight against the HIV epidemic. PrEP can now be used as a vital tool – alongside condom use, regular testing and early treatment – to help bring an end to HIV transmission in Scotland.
Porn4PrEP praises the progressiveness of NHS Scotland’s confidence to influence pharmaceutical companies to meet the needs of the nation.
Learn more in this article from The Guardian, which highlights the effectiveness of PrEP as a prevention tool:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/apr/10/people-risk-hiv-scotland-prep-drug-nhs-aids