Thursday, December 11, 2014 @1pm ET/10am PT
Presented by James Wilton, Coordinator, Biomedical Science of HIV Prevention at CATIE
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is an HIV prevention strategy that involves HIV-negative individuals taking antiretrovirals on an ongoing basis to reduce their risk of HIV infection. The use of a daily pill called Truvada has been found effective in multiple clinical trials and the process of moving PrEP into practice is underway. In the past few years, the FDA in the US has approved Truvada for use as PrEP and the CDC and WHO have released guidelines recommending PrEP be offered to people at “high risk” of HIV infection. While PrEP has not been approved in Canada, it is available from healthcare providers who are willing to prescribe it and some people in Canada are using it. However, there are several barriers to making PrEP more widely available and there are unanswered questions with regards to how this strategy can be integrated into our frontline work. This webinar explores the science behind PrEP, where we are in terms of implementation, and what frontline service providers can do to ensure PrEP is implemented in safe and effective way.
About the presenter
James Wilton has worked for over four years as the Biomedical Science of HIV Prevention Coordinator at CATIE, where his work focuses on the implications of new biomedical research for HIV prevention. James is currently completing his master’s degree of Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of Toronto and has previously completed an undergraduate degree in microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia.