Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union (TCDSU) Council voted this evening to mandate the union campaign for the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to be introduced to Ireland.
PrEP is a prescribed pill, which is currently not available in Ireland, that people can take daily to reduce the risk of contracting HIV. The motion, proposed by LGBT Rights officer Sean O’Carroll, mandates the President of TCDSU and the union’s LGBT Rights officer to campaign for the introduction of PrEP in Ireland.
Speaking at council, O’Carroll that PrEP is a “a very important tool in the set of HIV prevention methods”. He added “because of the stigma surrounding people with HIV [PrEP is] viewed as non-necessary”.
Also speaking for the motion, TCDSU Welfare officer, Aoibhinn Loughlin, said that PrEP “is an essential piece of healthcare that will make a difference not just for the LGBT community, but also for [intravenous drug users]”.
The pill contains two medicines that are also used to treat HIV. If you take PrEP and are exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use, these medicines can work to keep the virus from taking hold in your body.
PrEP is currently available in Canada, UK and the US, according to O’Carroll, who spoke about how the rates of HIV in these countries have “dramatically gone down”.
PrEP is not available to anyone who wishes to take it, it is considered for people who are HIV-negative and at very high risk for HIV infection, and only is available on prescription.
At a dotMed event earlier in the year, Rory O’Neill, also known as Panti Bliss, said that currently the subject of PrEP is a subject of debate in the gay community, saying “if you have a vaccine for any other disease, you give it to the people who are at risk”.
