David Taylor: Nurses at forefront of PrEP Impact trial

As the PrEP Impact trial gets under way, sexual health nurses will be at the forefront of ensuring it is available for those who need it and supporting them every step of the way, says nurse practitioner David Taylor

From September, the drug PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is being provided to 10,000 people across England who are at high risk of contracting HIV, mostly men who have sex with other men.

The initial three-year PrEP Impact trial, announced by NHS England in August, is the culmination of a long battle for PrEP to be provided on the NHS, and those of us working in sexual health services couldn’t be more pleased.

PrEP isn’t new. The first study was conducted in 2010 in South America, testing Truvada for pre-sexual exposure protection. This targets areas in which HIV is likely to replicate, such as