PrEP: Support grows for ‘essential’ HIV prevention drug

The World Health Organization's decision to endorse PrEP as an 'essential medicine' increases pressure on UK governments to follow Scotland's lead and make the controversial treatment available on the NHS

The HIV prevention treatment PrEP has been hailed as a game-changer, with the potential to transform people’s lives and save the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds per patient in lifetime costs.

But it has also been condemned for undermining safe sex messages and encouraging people to take sexual risks, such as not using condoms. And while it is available in some parts of the UK, there is resistance to making it available routinely on the NHS.

However, the discussion around PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) could be changing. The World Health Organization has