'Game changer': Advocates celebrate Manitoba’s move to cover HIV preventing drug
Advocates are celebrating the Manitoba government's move to cover the cost of a drug that helps prevent HIV, but believe more work is needed.
Rusty Souleymanov, an assistant professor and director of the Village Lab at the University of Manitoba, recently did a study regarding two-spirit, gay, bisexual, and queer men's health.
One of the recommendations from the study was that the province cover PrEP medication, drugs that prevent HIV.
"As part of the project, respondents told us that they did have quite a lot of info already on PrEP, but the main issue in regards to accessing PrEP was cost," said Souleymanov.
The antiviral drug can cost hundreds of dollars each month if not covered by the government or insurance.
As of Friday, however, the Manitoba Government announced it would be adding the drug to its provincial formulary, meaning the cost can now be covered.
"PrEP is a game changer in Manitoba as it has been in other places across the country," said Michael Payne, executive director at Nine Circles Community Health Centre, during the news conference.
Michael Fanous, a Toronto-based pharmacist specializing in HIV, said PrEP drugs are up to 99 per cent effective at preventing the disease.
"So PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It's the concept of taking HIV medications before someone is exposed to HIV," said Fanous.
According to Fanous, evidence shows HIV rates drop substantially when access to PrEP increases.
"Six Canadians contract HIV every day, so that means around 2,500 new infections annually, and areas where we've seen PrEP's uptake more readily available, the number is slashed in half," he said.
Fanous noted HIV is much more prevalent in certain groups like the LGBTQ2+, Afro-Caribbean and Indigenous community.
While happy the province now covers the drug, Souleymanov said the province's move to cover PrEP might have taken too long since Manitoba was the last province in the country to add it to its formulary.
"The rates are still rising," said Souleymanov. "Manitoba has the second-highest rate of HIV cases after Saskatchewan, so that speaks that there's still a lot of work remaining to do in the province."
Souleymanov said work can now switch focus to other HIV-related issues like stigma, racism and homophobia.
To provide PrEP, medical practitioners need to register. The registration forms can be found online.
Manitoba Health and Seniors Care said it partnered with the Manitoba HIV Program to create the 'Manitoba HIV Program HIV Prevention Guidelines.' These guidelines include eligibility for PrEP, initial and ongoing assessment, and recommended supports for patients receiving PrEP.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
NEW High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
NEW Where to watch the state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney
A state funeral for former prime minister Brian Mulroney will be held in Montreal on March 23. CTV News will have live special coverage of his funeral service.
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.