HIV

HIV-PrEP must be made easily accessible and free of charge for all who need it

Vienna (OTS) – “The AIHTA study on HIV-PrEP presented today proves what the Austrian AIDS organizations and the Austrian AIDS Society have been saying for a long time: There is an urgent need for free, low-threshold access to this important prevention tool,” said Andrea Brunner, Managing Director of AIDS Aid Vienna, in response to this study. PrEP can be taken preventively by an HIV-negative person to protect themselves from contracting the HI virus. When taken correctly, it works just as reliably as the condom or TasP (Treatment as Prevention/therapy as prevention) and is therefore considered a safer sex method in relation to HIV.

“At the moment, access to this effective preventive drug is still far too high, especially for vulnerable groups, because it is expensive, and this urgently needs to change. Effective HIV prevention must not be a question of income!” Brunner continued.

“It’s good that the AIHTA study recommends low-threshold and free access and that Minister Rauch has announced further talks on this. From the point of view of AIDS Aid Vienna, I can only say: Let’s do it, so that we can really defeat AIDS by 2030 and curb new infections,” Brunner said at the end.

Questions & contact:

Andrea Brunner
AIDS Help Vienna
brunner@aids-hilfe-wien.at
+43 1 59937 47