BC will now offer a daily drug that prevents HIV — for free

published on December 28, 2017 by Niko Bell, in Xtra

‘We got it done, and I think it’s a good decision,’ says BC health minister

In just a few days, gay and bisexual men in British Columbia, and others at risk of contracting HIV, will have free access to a drug that significantly reduces the risk of getting infected.

After months of studying the question, the BC Ministry of Health will begin covering PrEP at no cost on Jan 1, 2018, through the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

Studies show that people who take PrEP (or pre-exposure prophylaxis) every day are at almost no risk of contracting HIV, and are unlikely to develop side effects.

The government’s decision to cover PrEP is a major victory for gay men’s health advocates in the province, who say access to the drug will bring down stubbornly high infection rates among men who have sex with men — who make up more than half of new HIV infections in BC — and curb an uptick of HIV infections among young gay men.

While Ontario and Quebec already subsidize PrEP through their provincial drug programs, BC will be the first Canadian province to offer it entirely for free.

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(Please do not use any of these email addresses to send personal information or book an appointment. To book appointments or contact the H2H clinic, please call 604-416-1517 or fax: 604-564-4893. Do not send your or your client's personal information via email.)

© Copyright BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
St. Paul's Hospital 608–1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-8477 | Fax: 604-806-9044
General inquiries: info@bccfe.ca
Media inquiries: communications@bccfe.ca
(Please do not use any of these email addresses to send personal information or book an appointment. To book appointments or contact the H2H clinic, please call 604-416-1517 or fax: 604-564-4893. Do not send your or your client's personal information via email.)

Our work serves clients and communities across British Columbia on lands and waters cared for and nurtured by the many distinct First Nations across the province. The BC-CfE humbly and gratefully acknowledge the stewards of these lands, particularly the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) on whose unceded, traditional and ancestral territories our offices are located.