December 02, 2016
New generation HIV drugs bring normal life
A new HIV drug has been hailed as a boon for Maori who may be concerned about the stigma of having the virus.
It was World AIDs Day yesterday, and that’s a chance for a check on progress towards containing the epidemic.
Marama Pala from INA, the Maori, Pacific and Indigenous HIV/AIDs Foundation, says Pharmac’s decision to fund Tivicay means New Zealanders can access some of the new generation of drugs that bring levels of the virus in the body down to manageable levels.
An advantage is that it’s only one pill a day, which means taking medication is much less obvious.
"When we are looking at Maori who are living in isolation of living with stigma and discrimination and people don't know they have HIV, the whole stigma around taking medication makes it really obvious to people, and we have Maori who won't take medication because they don't want to be exposed or have their status disclosed to their whanau," she says.
Ms Pala says drugs like Tivicay are allowing people to live a normal life and lifespan, regardless of having HIV.
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