LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
The Morning After Pill: Hype or Hope? |
by Michael Cover |
So you were out late last night and you met Mr. Right. You had a great time, cocktails, dancing at the club, followed by a passionate night of incredible sex. But you woke up this morning and couldnt quite recall if you were entirely safe. Hes gone, and you didnt even talk about HIV status. I mean he looked clean cut enough but then again, things did get a little out of hand for awhile. And what if But then you remember hearing someone in a bar recently talking about this great new treatmenta "morning after" pill of some sort that is supposed to eradicate the HIV before it gains a foothold in your body. Then its simple! Just call your doctor and take a pillno more worries, no more condoms, no more having to always think about safe sex! You excitedly call your doctor, who listens while you tell him what happened and ask him to phone in a prescription. Then you listen while he explains that there is no such thing as a simple "morning after" pill. Theres still no other way to prevent HIV transmission than abstinence and safe sex. Your doctor advises you to get tested over the next several weeks. But what was that guy talking about at the bar? What is this "morning after" treatment? You read about it in Time, Newsweek, and all the major papers. Most likely, this stranger you overheard dispensing medical advice over Martinis was talking about Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). In a recent article in Metro Weekly, a Washington, D.C.-based publication, Sean Bugg, NASTAD HIV Prevention Communications Specialist, explained in detail how PEP came to be seen by the medical community as another tool for fighting HIV transmissionand by others as a panacea for AIDS. Unfortunately, we dont have the space to reprint Buggs article in its entirety. But the information is important, so, with his permission, Ive taken the liberty of excerpting some of the most salient points. You can read the full version of this article by clicking here. Bugg explains that for the last several years, health care workers who may have been accidentally exposed to HIV through a needle stick or other means, could begin the PEP treatment directly after the possible exposure. And the treatment is not quite as simple as taking a pill with half a glass of water. Depending on the assessed risk to the individual, PEP can range from immediately beginning a course of AZT, to a triple drug combination regimen of AZT, 3TC, and a protease inhibitor taken over a 28-day period. In his article, Bugg explains that while the drugs have been shown in studies to decrease the rate of infection after exposure to the virus, the data is limited. Bugg cites studies showing that "as of June 1996, only 51 documented cases of occupationally acquired HIV infection had been reported in the United States, along with 108 reports of possible cases The data indicate that there may be some positive effects from the use of PEP to help block a new HIV infection. But even within the studied realm of health care workers, the data is not definitive." As anyone who is on these drugs can tell you, the toll can be heavyboth on your body and your wallet. While the drug therapies have dramatically improved the lives of those living with HIV, the side effects can be devastating. Headaches, cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fevers and other reactions are common. And the cost can be high as wellup to $1,000 for an extended treatment program. Post exposure treatments have undoubtedly prevented infection in many who have been forced to undergo such a regimen through accidental occupational exposure, rape, or other such incidents that may have resulted in a dangerous exchange of body fluids. But is it an answer to sex without condoms and common sense? Is a hot one-night stand worth painful and discomforting side effects with a $1,000 price tag? Clearly the answer is a resounding, "No!" Bugg writes, "The idea that people may repeatedly engage in unprotected sex with the idea that a "morning after pill" can protect them from infection is perhaps the most frightening for prevention workers concerned about PEP, particularly since even if PEP is effective, its certainly not 100 percent effective. Studies and programs currently in place, including [a study at Bostons] Fenway Clinic and a [San Francisco] study, have included an intensive focus on helping patients make and maintain healthy behavior changes." Making healthy behavior changes is the key to preventing HIV exposure and transmission. Only you can ensure that if you are HIV-negative, you stay that way. How? Make smart decisions about your sexual behavior. Find out about safe sex. Use a condom every time you have sex. Over the course of this year, CAMPsafe is providing 10,000 condoms free of charge at locations around Rehoboth including: CAMP Rehoboth, the Renegade, the Blue Moon, Cloud 9, and Double L. Still not sure? Call a local HIV/AIDS service provider for more information. In Delaware, several organizations provide anonymous testing, information, referrals, counseling and medical treatment. The inside front page of every issue of LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth has a list of resources throughout the state. Finally, if you think you may have been exposed, get your doctors medical advice on the best course of action for youit may include a post-exposure therapy. In any case, the best course of action for everyone is to know what safe sex is, and to practice it, always. Remember: Have fun! Play smart! CAMPsafe! |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 8, No. 10, July 31, 1998. |