Charlie Sheen's Nurse, Amanda Bruce, Took a Pill to Prevent HIV Contraction

Who would have thought that there was pill that aided in the prevention of contracting HIV? Well, there is, and Charlie Sheen and his nurse Amanda Bruce are all too familiar. If you are not aware of the latest Sheen news, this will keep your eyes and ears open. Sheen has openly admitted to contracting the HIV virus a little over four years, according to NBC News. As you would guess it, yes, Sheen and Bruce were dating during that four year period.

The once-a-day pill, called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, is not well known, but it has been on the market since 2012 and has been approved and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since 2014. Not only has this pill received little coverage but most doctors are not aware that it even exist. NBC News reports, "A third of U.S. doctors don't even know about it, and hundreds of thousands of people at high risk don't, according to a survey by the CDC."

CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden states, "PrEP isn't reaching many people who could benefit from it, and many providers remain unaware of its promise. With about 40,000 HIV infections newly diagnosed each year in the U.S., we need to use all available prevention strategies."

Luckily, Sheen's doctor, Dr. Robert Huizenga, was one of the few who had prior knowledge of this pill and prescribed it to each of Sheen's sexual partners. Huizenga tells NBC News, "In numerous situations he would inform his partner and then he would often have the partner see me and we would have an incredibly frank discussion about their risks based on their known information and their options."

PrEP is said to reduce the risk of infection by more than 90 percent.

Would you still feel safe taking this pill and having sexual relations with someone you know is HIV positive? Tell us your thoughts!