via Greg
Chicago, IL
I started taking Truvada for PrEP four weeks ago.
My reason for wanting to take PrEP is pretty simple; my partner of five months is HIV-positive. It's uncharted territory for me; I've never been in a relationship with an HIV-positive man in the past. Out of respect for his privacy, I'm keeping this post anonymous.
Although I work in the health care field as a physician, I'm not an infectious diseases specialist, and surprisingly, I was totally unaware of PrEP until I started looking at HIV websites earlier this year, in an effort to better understand the side effects of the medication that my partner is taking (Atripla).
After I mentioned PrEP to him, he admitted that he knew about of it, but that he didn't mention it to me because he had heard about all of the risks of untoward side effects. He was actually "amazed" that I would consider taking it, in view of some of the bad press it has received. I told him that I'd done a lot of reading about the pros and cons, and that I was comfortable with starting it.
I had also inquired about Truvada for PrEP with a friend/colleague in infectious diseases who does treat HIV patients, and it was endorsed without hesitation. I was told that I didn't need an infectious diseases consult to obtain a prescription, and that any physician could prescribe Truvada for PrEP.
So, I went to my primary care physician (PCP) and told him what I wanted and why; I had downloaded the PrEP checklist and agreement form, and brought them to my appointment. I wasn't shocked, but I was a little disappointed that my PCP refused to write me a prescription for Truvada; he was not aware of PrEP (then again, neither was I), although he agreed that it was the right thing to do. He repeated my HIV test (which was negative) and requested that I see an infectious diseases specialist in his network, which delayed the process a couple of weeks while I waited for an appointment. Before I left the office, I handed my PCP a copy of the CDC Guidelines for Truvada as PrEP, which he appreciated.
I eventually saw the ID doc and was screened for hepatitis A/B/C (all negative), then prescribed Truvada for PrEP. I had been vaccinated against Hep B as part of employment, but never had the Hep A vaccine, so that was also recommended.
The only potential stumbling block left was insurance coverage. I wanted to take PrEP, but I couldn't pay ten thousand dollars a year for it, if my insurance carrier would not cover it. The drug was covered by my insurance (with a $30 copay each month), and I brought my bottle of blue pills home to start treatment.
My ID doc recommended taking it at bedtime, but after a few nights of insomnia (totally uncharacteristic for me), I switched to taking it in the morning, which restored my normal sleep cycle. Aside from the sleep disturbance, I've not noted any other adverse effects so far, and I'll get my bloodwork checked again at the 3-month point.
I don't think there's anything unusual about my PrEP experience thus far, but I just wanted to share my story with the hope that more people will consider taking advantage of this extra layer of protection. And speaking of protection, even though I'm now on PrEP and my partner has an undetectable viral load, we still use condoms as recommended.
Chicago, IL
And speaking of protection, even though I'm now on PrEP and my partner has an undetectable viral load, we still use condoms as recommended.
My reason for wanting to take PrEP is pretty simple; my partner of five months is HIV-positive. It's uncharted territory for me; I've never been in a relationship with an HIV-positive man in the past. Out of respect for his privacy, I'm keeping this post anonymous.
Although I work in the health care field as a physician, I'm not an infectious diseases specialist, and surprisingly, I was totally unaware of PrEP until I started looking at HIV websites earlier this year, in an effort to better understand the side effects of the medication that my partner is taking (Atripla).
After I mentioned PrEP to him, he admitted that he knew about of it, but that he didn't mention it to me because he had heard about all of the risks of untoward side effects. He was actually "amazed" that I would consider taking it, in view of some of the bad press it has received. I told him that I'd done a lot of reading about the pros and cons, and that I was comfortable with starting it.
I had also inquired about Truvada for PrEP with a friend/colleague in infectious diseases who does treat HIV patients, and it was endorsed without hesitation. I was told that I didn't need an infectious diseases consult to obtain a prescription, and that any physician could prescribe Truvada for PrEP.
So, I went to my primary care physician (PCP) and told him what I wanted and why; I had downloaded the PrEP checklist and agreement form, and brought them to my appointment. I wasn't shocked, but I was a little disappointed that my PCP refused to write me a prescription for Truvada; he was not aware of PrEP (then again, neither was I), although he agreed that it was the right thing to do. He repeated my HIV test (which was negative) and requested that I see an infectious diseases specialist in his network, which delayed the process a couple of weeks while I waited for an appointment. Before I left the office, I handed my PCP a copy of the CDC Guidelines for Truvada as PrEP, which he appreciated.
I eventually saw the ID doc and was screened for hepatitis A/B/C (all negative), then prescribed Truvada for PrEP. I had been vaccinated against Hep B as part of employment, but never had the Hep A vaccine, so that was also recommended.
The only potential stumbling block left was insurance coverage. I wanted to take PrEP, but I couldn't pay ten thousand dollars a year for it, if my insurance carrier would not cover it. The drug was covered by my insurance (with a $30 copay each month), and I brought my bottle of blue pills home to start treatment.
My ID doc recommended taking it at bedtime, but after a few nights of insomnia (totally uncharacteristic for me), I switched to taking it in the morning, which restored my normal sleep cycle. Aside from the sleep disturbance, I've not noted any other adverse effects so far, and I'll get my bloodwork checked again at the 3-month point.
I don't think there's anything unusual about my PrEP experience thus far, but I just wanted to share my story with the hope that more people will consider taking advantage of this extra layer of protection. And speaking of protection, even though I'm now on PrEP and my partner has an undetectable viral load, we still use condoms as recommended.
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