Last year, a groundbreaking study (for which the Fenway Institute served as one of two U.S. test sites) showed that taking HIV medicines before becoming infected (known as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP) greatly reduced the risk of HIV transmission in men who have sex with men. The study, called iPrEx, showed that high-risk individuals who took a single daily tablet containing two widely used HIV medications experienced an average of 43.8 percent fewer HIV infections than those who took a placebo pill.

But how and when to put these findings into practice isn’t entirely clear, as this New York Times piece illustrates. As San Francisco and Miami prepare to embark on a pilot study of PrEP in high-risk men who have sex with men, health professionals and HIV advocates have questions about who should receive PrEP and about the scientific and ethical implications of giving HIV medicine to HIV-negative individuals.

The issues are more than academic: According to anecdotal reports, some doctors are already prescribing the medications to some H.I.V.-negative patients, said Dr. Kenneth Mayer, a chairman of the Fenway Institute, a research and advocacy center for  gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender health in Boston, who has been involved in research into PrEP.

“I think that’s going to increase, but it’s very incremental,” said Dr. Mayer, who believes PrEP is an important new weapon in the H.I.V. prevention arsenal. “People have a lot of questions.”

The article goes on to explore the issue further and is well worth the read. PrEP’s effectiveness within high-risk communities could be a turning point in the fight against HIV. But how it will fit into the broader scheme of prevention efforts remains to be seen.

If you want to contribute to the future of HIV prevention, consider enrolling in one of the many research studies at the Fenway Institute. 

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