Most gay men not aware of treatment to protect them from HIV
Studies have shown that PrEP, a once-daily pill, reduces HIV incidenc e by 92 percent in HIV-negative people who are at high risk for HIV, including men who have unprotected sex with men, and it is recommended for that group by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2011, HIV incidence among gay and bisexual men nationally was 18 percent; in Baltimore, it is estimated to be 31 percent. Still, since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved PrEP in 2012, only five percent of high-risk individuals have taken it for HIV prevention. The new findings, published online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine , suggest that many health care providers don't even discuss PrEP, even with high-risk patients they know are gay or bisexual or have been tested for other sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that as many as one-third of physician s may not even know PrEP is an option. "Doctors have limited time with ...