Groundbreaking Australian HIV trial should be replicated, researchers say

Trial resulted in 25% fall in new infections in year after rapid rollout of PrEP medication

High-income countries with people at high risk of HIV should replicate a groundbreaking trial in Australia, which has seen new infections fall by 25% in one year following the rapid rollout of free HIV medication, researchers say.

When taken daily the pre-exposure prophylaxis drug known as PrEP is almost 100% effective in preventing HIV-negative people from acquiring the virus. In 2016, NSW became the first Australian state to trial PrEP on a large scale. In the course of just one year 9,714 HIV-negative people at high risk of acquiring HIV were enrolled in the trial, and given PrEP for free. The program was funded by the NSW government.