Mwanasiasa ajitangaza hadharani kuwa anatumia ARVs

San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener (left) says he started taking a drug to prevent HIV infection earlier this year.

Mwanasiasa nchini Marekani katika jiji la San Francisco jimboni Calirornia anajitangaza hadharani ya kuwa anatumia dawa za kupunguza makali ya HIV, lengo la kujitangaza huko likiwa ni kuchochea mijadala itakayopunguza kunyanyapaa watu wenye virusi vya UKIMWI (VVU) ili kuhamasisha ongezeko la watu wanaopima afya zao na kutumia dawa ili kupunguza kasi ya maambukizi ya VVU.

In an effort to combat stigma that has arisen around a treatment that prevents HIV, a San Francisco elected official announced publicly Wednesday that he is taking the medicine.

City Supervisor Scott Wiener said he is taking Truvada, a drug that dramatically reduces the risk of HIV infection. He appears to be the first public official to make such an announcement.

Wiener wrote about his experience for The Huffington Post:

Each morning, I take a pill called Truvada to protect me from becoming infected with HIV. This strategy, also known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, reduces the risk of HIV infection by up to 99 percent if the pill is taken once a day. This makes PrEP one of the most effective HIV-prevention measures in existence. ...
As an elected official, disclosing this personal health decision was a hard but necessary choice. After all these years, we still see enormous stigma, shame, and judgment around HIV, and around sexuality in general. That is precisely why I decided to be public about my choice: to contribute to a larger dialogue about our community's health.

In an interview at Wiener's office in San Francisco's City Hall, he said, "My hope is that by disclosing my PrEP use publicly that I can help move the conversation forward and get more people thinking about PrEP as a possibility, and encouraging people to consult with their medical provider."

Read more: The NPR - San Francisco Politician Goes Public With His Choice To Take Anti-HIV Drug