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Saturday Magazine

27 Jul 2013

Funding for innovative HIV trial

News & Politics

A new project will test the effectiveness of medications in preventing the transmission of HIV. The Victorian Minister for Health David Davis announced the $320,000 project at the Gay Men’s Health Centre/Victorian AIDS Council 30th Anniversary yesterday.

“The Coalition Government is continuing to invest in prevention, research and care to minimise the impact of HIV/AIDS on Victorian communities,” Mr Davis said.

“PrEP is an innovative prevention strategy in which anti-retroviral drugs are used in HIV negative people at risk of HIV acquisition. This could include relationships in which one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative. PrEP will also be offered to other men and women who are also at high risk of infection.

“We are proud to provide $320,000 for the Victorian trial which will test the success of the strategy in reducing the transmission of HIV in Victoria.

The Victorian PrEP Demonstration project will be led by Associate Professor Edwina Wright of the Department of Infectious diseases Alfred Health, Monash University and the Burnet Institute. Medication will be provided by Gilead Sciences.

Mr Davis said the trial, involving about 200 participants, will determine if PrEP is an effective intervention for people at high risk of HIV infection.

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