ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the country, and many politicians and medical professionals are trying to curve that rate downward. Recently, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will allow pharmacies to administer a drug that helps to prevent the transmission of HIV after a possible exposure.
THE DRUG THAT HELPS PREVENT HIV
“I think it’s something that is necessary for our community,” said Richard Schanno. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new bill that will allow pharmacies to screen for HIV and administer a drug called post-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PEP. The drug helps to prevent the onset of HIV before being exposed to the virus.
“I am partnered right now, but I understand that I have a lot of friends who would benefit from this,” said Schanno. More than 600 died from HIV-related illnesses. As it stands now, PEP is administered at doctors’ offices, which usually requires an appointment. “It’d be more advantageous if it were accessible to more people,” said Schanno.
THE HISTORY AND SCIENCE OF PEP
PEP is not new. In the late 1980s, it was used for medical professionals who were possibly exposed to HIV, but I wanted to learn more about this groundbreaking drug that’s now available to the general public. So, I went to Dr. Bob Wallace’s office in St. Petersburg. I’ve done several stories about him treating people during the height of the HIV epidemic in the 1980s when many other doctors wouldn’t. “We have a supply that we keep for PEP because we certainly have patients come in who have had a condom break or they’ve been assaulted and we use different regimens,” said Dr. Wallace as he held the pill bottle. “Biktarvy is one that can be used. The nice thing is it’s one pill one a day and the side effect profile is very, very low.”
Dr. Wallace said PEP should be taken within 72 hours of possible exposure and taken once a day for 28 days. “The way HIV medications work, they get into the cells, particularly in the CD4 cells and therefore make it difficult for the virus to actually replicate,” said Dr. Wallace.
LEGISLATION TO MAKE PEP MORE ACCESSIBLE
“This legislation passed through the legislature unanimously in both chambers. We’re really excited,” said John Harris Maurer, public policy director of Equality Florida, Florida’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group. “When we talk about PEP access, one of the reasons why it’s so important is because, frankly, PEP isn’t being used nearly as much as it could to benefit communities and particularly outside of the LGBTQ community. There’s not a lot of literacy about PEP access and some of these new forms of prevention,” said Mauer.
The new bill will officially become law on July 1. Click here for more information on PEP. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/pep/about-pep.html
