Around 1300 people in MV HIV-positive
According to the Ministry of Health, around 1,300 people in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are currently infected with the HI virus, which causes the immunodeficiency disease AIDS if left untreated. On World Aids Day on Friday, Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) criticized the fact that the infection - although now easily treatable - is still a stigma for many of those affected.
She pointed out that there are around 30 sexually transmitted pathogens. These include human papillomaviruses (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. Unlike HIV, HPV can be vaccinated against, said Drese. Experts had recently sounded the alarm that the vaccination rate for boys and girls has fallen significantly since the coronavirus pandemic - including in MV.
Drese emphasized that the use of condoms prevents infection with sexually transmitted diseases. There is also a medication specifically to prevent HIV infection: since September 2019, pre-exposure prophylaxis, or Prep for short, has been covered by statutory health insurance in Germany for people with a substantial risk of HIV infection. This involves taking a daily tablet containing two active substances that suppress the replication of the virus in the body.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Thuringia, however, according to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the active ingredients are hardly prescribed at all. According to the RKI, the majority of HIV care has so far been provided by specialized HIV practices and centers - structures that are not equally well developed everywhere.
Despite the availability of Prep, a medication to prevent HIV infection, its use is hardly prescribed in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, and Thuringia. Continuous efforts are needed to combat the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS diseases, as the Ministry of Health stated, even though it's now easily treatable and preventable in some cases with options such as the HPV vaccination and Prep.
Source: www.dpa.com
