CONNECT 2022 - PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) for Primary Care Physicians | Tyler Wuthmann, ND, & Mel Hobart-Beaumari, ND

This presentation will review the history of HIV and discuss the ways that naturopathic medicine has intersected with the care of those at risk of acquiring HIV and those who are HIV+. We will examine the ways that providers can work to create a practice that is welcoming to those seeking PrEP and starting conversations with those who would benefit.

Starting with a discussion of HIV physiology, we will move through the various classes of medications used to suppress viral replication and those that have been studied as PrEP. We will review the trials that established emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate as the first approved PrEP regimen. We will review the data on more recent trials showing efficacy of various dosing methods as well as the recently published DISCOVER trial that served as the basis for emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide fumarate being the second medication approved as PrEP.

We will review what a "PrEP" visit entails, how to start and screen patients as candidates for PrEP, and review the follow up needed over the course of a year with patients who are on prep. We will end with some tips and tricks on troubleshooting common questions and side effects with a specific focus on the ways naturopathic medicine lends itself well to creating success with our patients.

Dr. Tyler Wuthmann is a First Year Resident at Bastyr Center for Natural Health. He has worked in both community medicine and hospital-based medicine practices in the past before and throughout medical school and is excited to continue his training at BCNH. He hopes to work in larger academic medical systems in the future such as teaching hospitals and medical schools, in order to both care for patients and continue to teach future doctors and medical providers. You can often find Dr. Wuthmann traveling down to San Francisco, CA to be with his partner who lives in California full time. He also has a passion for continuing the progress that we have made with telemedicine, bringing wider access to medicine and naturopathic medicine to more people virtually. Dr. Wuthmann's clinical interests include medication/supplement management, LGBTQ+ Health, gender affirming care, Integrative Oncology, Gastrointestinal Health including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or SIBO, integrative mental health including psychiatric medication management, and preventative Cardiology.

Dr. Hobart-Beaumari practices primary care for all ages. Special interests include family medicine, LGBTQ+ preventative medicine, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and acute care. Dr. Hobart-Beaumari approaches the patient encounter as a collaborative venture between doctor and patient. The more empowered and educated a patient is, the more likely they are to be able to make changes and improve their health. Dr Hobart-Beaumari appreciates the wide variety of modalities, both natural and conventional, available to Naturopathic Physicians because it means that patients have more tools to improve their health.