“Teach dance and PrEP”

Are they just trolling us now?

I was going to save this for the now weekly PrEP roundup, but this story is so ridiculous it deserves a stand alone post. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to vogue and get educated on “HIV” prevention while doing so, this class might be for you!

Strike a Pose and Prevent HIV in This Ballroom Dance Class

Yes, this is real. I actually find voguing quite entertaining to watch, especially when the performers are really skilled. It can be quite impressive. However, I suspect this class might suck all the joy out of the experience. (Emphasis is mine throughout.)

In a dance pairing that earns 10s across the board, voguer Jason Rodriguez joins House of Healthysexual to offer a ballroom dance class that also teaches HIV prevention.

To be held Friday evening, April 12, in Manhattan, the dance class is open to about 100 people and will teach participants not only how to vogue but also how to prioritize their sexual health, notably through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the HIV prevention tool available as daily pills and long-acting injectables. The class is sponsored by Gilead Sciences, the pharma giant that manufactures numerous blockbuster HIV meds, including Truvada for PrEP.

Oh my gosh, it’s actually sponsored by the Truvada monsters! I wonder if ACT UP is involved. They aren’t mentioned, but the piece was published in Poz, of course, so it’s certainly possible.

This article is literally a propaganda piece for PrEP. I know, this doesn’t make it unusual, but I have to give them points for innovation. Desperation sometimes breeds some interesting ideas.

The dance class will incorporate this rich history, as Rodriguez and other dancers will share stories and information about maintaining sexual health (such as where to get tested for HIV).

To sign up for the class, visit houseofhealthysexual.rsvpify.com.

Healthysexual is a Gilead campaign to educate about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV testing and prevention. For related stories, see “Want to Hear Healthy Sexual Stories? [VIDEOS]” and “In a First, Drugmaker Gilead Promotes PrEP and HIV Prevention in TV Ads.”

Here’s the ad that represents this momentous “first” in “HIV” prevention propaganda:

There is an introduction to the instructor, and discusses the TV series Pose in which he appeared (I don’t watch television so I haven’t seen it; let me know what you think if you have), and then the piece takes an abrupt turn into blatant promotion of the three available PrEP drugs. Here’s their attempt to whitewash the Truvada atrocities:

Truvada (also available as generic TDF/FTC) was approved for HIV prevention in 2012. It is approved for all populations at increased risk for HIV. It is usually taken once daily, but studies show that taking it “on demand” before and after sex—known as PrEP 2-1-1—also works well. Studies of cisgender gay and bisexual men and transgender women, including the pivotal iPrEX trial, have shown that daily Truvada is around 99% effective for preventing HIV if used consistently as directed. Truvada PrEP is also effective for cisgender women, but they may need to maintain better adherence for optimal protection.

Truvada is generally safe and well tolerated, though it can cause minor side effects, such as nausea, which usually resolve after the first few weeks or months. The TDF component can cause kidney problems and bone loss in susceptible individuals, and it is not recommended for people with preexisting kidney impairment. The drugs in Truvada are also active against hepatitis B virus (HBV), and liver flare-ups can occur if people with HIV/HBV coinfection stop taking it.

Well, that list of side effects says almost nothing about what actually happens to many patients taking this medication. Ask the 26,000+ Truvada victims, many of whom have had multiple surgeries including hip replacements because of the bone density loss caused by Truvada, or have suffered kidney disease or lactic acidosis, and you’ll get a much different story.

Also, we know now that the iPrEX trial was a big nothingburger, and not “pivotal” as claimed. Notice also that they inadvertently admit to the drug not being specific to “HIV,” since it is also active against hepatitis B.

They then discuss Descovy, or “good Truvada,” as it contains the TAF formulation of tenofovir rather than TDF. However, they even admit: “Compared with the TDF in Truvada, TAF is easier on the kidneys and bones, but it has been linked to elevated blood fat levels and possible weight gain. The drugs in Descovy are also active against HBV.” Kind of sounds like the protease inhibitors, that have dramatically fallen out of favor. They had similar adverse effects.

Finally, we have Apretude, the long-acting injectable, which they say is “generally well tolerated,” although it hasn’t been in use very long. They do admit that this drug may indeed “mask early infection” and delay diagnosis, as we discussed yesterday.

Apretude is generally safe and well tolerated, with no major adverse effects. The most common side effect is mild to moderate pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, which usually goes away after a few days. Of note, HIV diagnosis may be delayed in the rare cases when infection occurs despite using Apretude.

And that is where the article ends, very abruptly. It continually amazes me the desperation with which these drugs are aggressively marketed, cloaked in a veneer of newspeak and subtle intimidation in the form of warning that perfect adherence is required. Remember the wearable devices that monitor PrEP adherence? Is this going to get better before it gets worse, or is this clear desperation an indication that people just don’t want to take PrEP at all? Time will tell.

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