Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Disease in Heterosexuals

  • Current Controversies (P Kleinplatz and C Moser, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Sexual Health Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection is gaining increased use among MSM (men who have sex with men), but HIV infection among heterosexuals is also a significant problem. Currently, one medication is FDA approved for PrEP and others are in trials. The current review will focus on the specific issues among heterosexuals as well as review the use and effectiveness of PrEP in general.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

  1. UNAIDS (2012) Global Report: UNAIDS report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2012.

  2. Weller S, Davis K. Condom effectiveness in reducing heterosexual HIV transmission. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2002;1:CD003255. Review.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Grant RM, Lama JR, Anderson PL, et al. Pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis for HIV prevention in men who have sex with men. N Engl J Med. 2010;363:2587–99. Registrational drug trials for truvada as prep.

  4. Baeten JM, Donnell D, Ndase P, et al. Antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV prevention in heterosexual men and women. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:399–410. Registrational drug trials for truvada as prep.

  5. VanDamme L, Corneli A, Ahmed K, et al. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV infection among African women. N Engl J Med. 2012;367:411–22.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Marrazzo M et al. For the VOICE study team. N Engl J Med. 2015;372:509–18. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa140226. Large clinical trials in women highlighting the difficulties of conducting effective prep trials in heterosexual african women.

  7. Wilson D. PLoS Med. 2012;9(7):e1001231. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001231. Published online 2012 Jul 10.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Baeten J. Near elimination of HIV transmission in a demonstration project of PrEP and ART. Abstract presented at: 22nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI); February 23–26, 2015; Seattle, Washington. Abstract 24. Trial demostrating the effectiveness of prep in motivated heterosexual couples.

  9. Dumond JB, Yeh RF, Patterson KB, et al. Antiretroviral drug exposure in the female genital tract: implications for oral pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis. AIDS. 2007;21:1899–907.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Abdool Karim Q, Abdool Karim SS, Frohlich JA, CAPRISA 004 Trial Group, et al. Effectiveness and safety of tenofovir gel, and antiretroviral microbicide, for the prevention of HIV infection in women. Science. 2010;329:1168–74. Large clinical trials in women highlighting the difficulties of conducting effective prep trials in heterosexual african women.

  11. Rees H, Delany-Moretlwe SA, Lombard C, et al. FACTS 001 Phase III trial of pericoital tenofovir 1% Gel for HIV prevention in women. 22nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI); February 23–26, 2015; Seattle, Washington. Abstract 26LB.

  12. Andrews CD, Heneine W. Cabotegravir long-acting for HIV-1 prevention. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2015;10(4):258–63. doi:10.1097/COH.0000000000000161.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Baeten JM, Kahle E, Lingappa JR, et al. Genital HIV-1 RNA predicts risk of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission. Sci Transl Med. 2011;3(77):77ra29.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Morrison CS, Chen PL, Kwok C, et al. Hormonal contraception and the risk of HIV acquisition: an individual participant data meta-analysis. PLoS Med. 2015;12(1):e1001778.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Swaims A, Evans-Strickfaden T, Lupo L, Hart C, Haaland R. Progesterone increases are associated with HIV susceptibility factors in women. 22nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections; Seattle, WA. 2015. Abstract 860.

  16. Roxby A, Odem-Davis K, Ásbjörnsdóttir K, Masese L, Tina L, McClelland R. Changes in vaginal microbiota and cytokines in HIV-1-seronegative women initiating DMPA. 22nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections; Seattle, WA. 2015. Abstract 861.

  17. Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive M. Human immunodeficiency virus and infertility treatment. Fertil Steril. 2010;94(1):11–15. Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20236636.

  18. Hayes R. Treatment of sexually transmitted infections for HIV prevention: end of the road or new beginning? AIDS. 2010;24:S15–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. http://start.truvada.com Truvada Product Insert. Downloaded 7/12/15. http://www.gilead.com/∼/media/files/pdfs/medicines/hiv/truvada/truvada_pi.pdf

  20. US Public Health Services. Pre-exposure prophylaxis for the prevention of HIV infection in the US, 2014. (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/guidelines/PrEPguidelines) [this link does not work, suggest this one] http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/prepguidelines2014.pdf.

  21. Choopanya K, Bangkok Tenofovir Study Group, et al. Antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV infection in injecting drug users in Bangkok, Thailand (the Bangkok Tenofovir Study): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2013;381(9883):2083–90. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61127-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Shika G. Provider prescription of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection. 22nd Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections; Seattle, WA. 2015. Poster 974.

Download references

Acknowledgments

The author would like to give credit to her friend, mentor, and helpful editor Benjamin Young, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care.

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

Conflict of Interest

F. Lisa Sterman consults, speaks for, and is a stockholder of Gilead Sciences and also consults and speaks for Merck, Jansen, and ViiV Healthcare.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Lisa Sterman.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Current Controversies

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sterman, F.L. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Disease in Heterosexuals. Curr Sex Health Rep 7, 205–209 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-015-0060-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-015-0060-z

Keywords

Navigation