US healthcare plans that cover the main HIV prevention drug free of charge are in violation of the right to religious freedom, a judge has ruled.
Employers are required to cover certain preventive services and medications in their insurance plans under US law.
But a group of Texas Christians sued in 2020 over coverage of the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, drug.
They argued the drug can "facilitate or encourage homosexual behaviour".
PrEP is recommended for adults who are at high risk of contracting HIV. It can reduce infection risk by as much as 99% when taken as prescribed, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC has credited its growing use as a key factor in declining HIV infections. Oral editions of the drug have been used by more than 600,000 people in 76 countries, according to the World Health Organization.............................etc.
This activist judge has been reversed on appeals so often his chauffeur only drives backwards.