European Commission Approves Truvada

On August 22, 2016, the European Commission announced that it approves Truvada as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV) in all 28 EU countries.

Truvada is the first antiretroviral drug to be licensed in all 28 countries of the European Union to reduce the risk for HIV infection, subject to national regulatory authority approval of required pharmacovigilance materials in each country.

Two major studies (iPrEx study and Partners PrEP trial) demonstrated substantial reductions in the risk for HIV-1 infection when Truvada was used as PrEP. Both studies linked better adherence to daily Truvada to better protection against HIV-1 infection.

Experts believe that it will be available on the pharmaceutical market in the next six months. Even now PrEP plays an important role, together with other measures, in HIV prevention.

PrEP is relatively costly (universally recognized is $1,539.90 for 30 tablets) if it is not reimbursed by health insurance and is affordable by very few people. Now many hope that alternative PrEP becomes available in the market and that this very effective method of prevention will be available to many more.

It is not yet clear when PrEP will be available in Sweden and at what cost.

In addition to the European Union, Truvada is also authorized for PrEP in the United States, Australia, Canada, Kenya, Peru, and South Africa.

Picture of the Day - 478

"..." by Toxx Genest

If you wish to see more of Toxx's photography, please visit his Flickr photostream by clicking the name under the picture.

Seventh Blogoversary

Today I celebrate the seventh anniversary of Bock in SecondLife. (The blog was first started on August 25, 2009.)

Before moving on to the singing, cheering and toasting with champagne in crystal glasses lets summarize the blog's existence with a few numbers. During the past seven years the blog has accumulated
786,614 pageviews (since June 1, 2010),
3,787 posts,
7,100 comments and
115 followers

Now please, all rise and join me in singing to the blog.

Happy blogoversary to you,
happy blogoversary to you,
happy blogoversary, Bock in SecondLife,
happy blogoversary to you!

May you have many more,
may you have many more,
may you have many moooooooooooorrreeeee,
happy blogoversary to you!

Three cheers to Bock in SecondLife, Hip, hip!
Hooray! Hooray! Hooraaaaaaaay!

Picture of the Day - 477

"Who loves the sun" by kaikeandel

If you wish to see more of kaikeandel's photography, please visit his Flickr photostream by clicking the name under the picture.

To Outsmart Oneself

I wanted to share this hilarious account of an exchange in a courtroom where an overzealous attorney outsmarts himself.

Lawyer: "Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "Did you check for blood pressure?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "Did you check for breathing?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?"
Witness: "No."
Lawyer: "How can you be so sure, Doctor?"
Witness: "Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar."
Lawyer: "But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?"
Witness: "Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere."

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The illustration to this post is just a random picture of that ridiculously handsome Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, 33. 

Can we ever get to see too many pictures of Chris Hensworth? Or for that matter of any of the other strikingly handsome men?

Women and Clothing

When will men, politicians and legislators (particularly the French and the Islamophobes) learn that it is a woman's fundamental right to decide over her clothing and over her own body?

If a woman wishes to wear a burkini to the beach, it is her prerogative to do so. Just as much as she has the right to wear a bikini or even to throw away her bikini-top.

These rights do not diminish if she happens to be a Muslim and chooses to cover her body at the beach.

Stay the hell away from woman's clothing and their bodies!

Should the men, legislators and politicians (particularly the French, right-wing, Christian and Islamophobic ones) not be able to contain themselves completely, perhaps they should legislate that Philippe Pradal, le maire de Nice, should be obliged to wear a burkini when he visits a beach. I am certain that he would be much more of an eyesore in regular swimwear.