3/17/18
1st entry of 8 (1. Intro, 2. Definition, 3. Research, 4. Origins, 5. Rationales, 6. Critiques, 7. Implications, 8. Conclusion)
“I first heard about [PrEP dosing on the Ts and Ss] from Greg Owen (of iwantprepnow.co.uk) about a year ago at a forum on PrEP that we organised here in Dublin.”
Andrew Leavitt is a white, cisgendered, queer man around 40yrs old in Ireland, and like many in his situation, he’d like to avoid acquiring HIV if he can.
“Before then[,] I’d been doing mainly event-based dosing, but I really didn’t like the tighter margin of adherence…For me intermittent isn’t as appealing, [also] because when I have sex isn’t always planned… I like maintaining a strong base level of protection.”
So, along with a growing number of other ‘early adopters’ there in Ireland and all around the world (including yours truly, this author), he’s started using PrEP.
“For those of us who are in places where PrEP isn’t available through the conventional health system, that cost and hassle incentivises [us] to find ways to make our supply last longer.”
And for that reason, Andrew’s taken a novel, yet controversial approach to dosing called PrEPping “On the Ts and Ss.” (Confession: So have I.)
“I’ve been doing 4x/week … the Ts&Ss is a pretty clever way to organise a 4-day a week regimen. Every other day doesn’t work because it ends up being a 4x/wk [then] 3x/wk schedule, and the day of the week you take a pill changes every other week…”
Surprisingly, perhaps, Andrew is not alone. Anecdotal evidence (including conversations between the author and a number of other PrEP users) suggest that this approach is currently being tried informally in America, Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Hong Kong, and Spain. Meanwhile, additional awareness and interest seem to be cropping up on the ground in places as diverse as Brazil, France, Mexico, Scotland, and Zimbabwe, and for several of the same reasons cited by Levitt.
“In a world of perfect access to the meds, I’d be doing daily and would probably recommend that for people who don’t feel like on-demand would work for them. In the current context in Ireland, I think it’s an option people should know about and understand the advantages and disadvantages of.”
As such, you might now be wondering just what exactly “Ts and Ss” means? You might also wonder:
- What, if any, data there is behind it?
- Where did this trend come from?
- Why would people be interested in potentially risking their health by skipping pills?
- Aside from that obvious one, what are the other drawbacks?
- Why should it be considered if at all given such drawbacks?
- Where is the trend likely headed?
What follows, by way of addressing these questions, is a an occasional series to explore and document the recent trend of PrEPping on the Ts and Ss.
1 of 8
3/17/18
Next up, a working definition of Ts and Ss from those at the forefront…
Prophylaxis 
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