Question
Will my HIV meds still be okay after Brexit?
19 December 2018. Related: Access to treatment, All topics.
Hi
Several times over the last few weeks the news has referred to possible uncertainty about medicines after Brexit. What is the NHS doing to make sure HIV drugs will not be affected? Is there anything I can do to help?
Answer
Hi
Thanks for your questions – all really important – but the answers unfortunately are less certain.
The current uncertainly has meant NHS trusts have very few plans for what will happen on 29 March 2019, when the UK is due to leave.
However, the UK Community Advisory Board (UK-CAB) has just posted advice for how HIV positive people can minimise short-term risks over access to HIV meds.
This includes making sure that you have enough meds to cover at least the first few months and arranging this in plenty of time. Ideally, arrange this before March as the NHS will be under increasing pressure as the proposed date to leave the EU approaches.
This is especially important if your current supply of HIV drugs is due to run out in March, April or May 2019.
This link is to the UK-CAB recommendations:
https://i-base.info/htb/35483
If the UK leaves the EU, the NHS is likely to be badly affected in at least four ways.
- Drug costs are likely to increase.
- The impact on supply of medicines is uncertain.
- The timeline for access to new medicines is likely to take longer.
- Filling all healthcare jobs is likely to become more difficult.
This will happen whether the exit is soft, hard or without a deal, but continued drug supply and drug costs are likely to be worse if the UK leaves without an arranged deal.
Hopefully, any interruption in drug supplies, if this does occur, will be temporary and short lived.
Hi Jordan,
Researchers are doing a lot of work on finding a cure for HIV. Please see this Q&A.
And there’s great news for the rest of your question. The answer is yes, you can marry someone who is HIV negative and have a baby who’s also HIV negative.
It’s good that you’ve been on ART for 5 months and that your CD4 count has increased and is strong. But do you have access to your viral load result? Can you find out if you’re undetectable?
ART can reduce most people’s viral load to undetectable in about three months. And being undetectable means that HIV cannot be transmitted if you don’t use condoms.
Some doctors say that you should wait for up to six months before undetectable allows you have sex without condoms with zero risk. But six months is likely to be cautious. And guidelines will probably change in future to less than that.
There’s more about Undetectable = Untransmittable here.
When will HIV be cure completely? I’m HIV positive, can I get marry with negative girl and have a normal baby? I’m on ART since the last 5 month. My CD4 increased from 495 to 745 within 4 months after ART.