Want PrEP? There’s An App For That!

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There’s an app for every aspect of our lives these days. From daily reminders, to photo filters, to finding sex – we’ve got access to a whole world of ‘stuff’, right from our smartphones or tablets.

Well now there’s an interesting new app that’s just come onto the market. It’s been called “revolutionary” and a “game changer” and it could quite possibly live up to the hype. It’s from a company called Nurx.

The app allows people to get access to PrEP (short for Pre-exposure prophylaxis). PrEP is a new HIV prevention method. People who don’t have HIV, take a pill (Truvada) every day to reduce their chances of infection. The app, released in March 2016, is only available only to Californians at this stage.

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In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Truvada to be used to reduce the risk of HIV transmission among individuals who do not have the virus and who are at high risk of being infected. “Each year, more than 40,000 Americans are infected with HIV. However, studies show that if taken daily, Truvada for PrEP is up to 99% effective in preventing transmission of the virus”, says Edvard Engesaeth a medical doctor and cofounder of Nurx.

Access to this revolutionary drug is however a problem for many people who need to access it. “By making PrEP more accessible…the Nurx app has the potential to be a game-changer in the fight to end the epidemic,” says Hans Gangeskar, CEO and co-founder of Nurx.

So, how does the app work? It’s pretty simple actually.

  1. The patient creates an account and requests a prescription for Truvada.
  2. After the user has requested a prescription for Truvada, they fill out their health profile.
  3. After completing the health profile, the user answers questions to determine whether they are a candidate for Truvada.
  4. The information is then reviewed by a Nurx partner physician . They will determine the eligibility of the patient for Truvada for PrEP. Eligible users must then complete lab tests for HIV status and renal function prior to the prescription being issued. Also recommended will be lab tests for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, chlamydia and syphilis.
  5. The physician will then assess the lab results and determine whether Truvada for PrEP can be prescribed. If it can, PrEP will then be dispatched to the user’s address.

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Truvada for PrEP is the second medication to be made available through the Nurx app. Nurx initially released their app in December 2015,. It was designed to streamline the antiquated process many face when getting their birth control. The response to that app has been positive.

Now the company is hoping to make access to PrEP easier than ever. Personally, I think this is a great thing. Removing whatever barriers exist for people to access PrEP is potentially going to save thousands of lives. Hopefully, once the app is established in California, it will roll out across the US, and internationally as well.

For more information, please visit the Nurx website.
You can also follow Nurx on Facebook.

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