PrEps is Anti-HIV medication that keeps HIV-negative people from becoming infected. PHOTO | Courtesy CNN |
PrEP means Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, and it’s the use of anti-HIV medication that keeps HIV-negative people from becoming infected. The tabs will be sold in all shops across Kenya at the cost of Ksh. 20 to Ksh 50. A person who is a constant risk of getting HIV will be required to take the PrEP tabs for seven days before going to bed for pleasure with the doubted partner.
PrEP is approved by the FDA and has been shown to be safe and effective. A single pill taken once daily, it is highly effective against HIV when taken every day. The medication interferes with HIV’s ability to copy itself in your body after you’ve been exposed. This prevents it from establishing an infection and making you sick.
The Government also has rolled out HIV self-test Kits that will be sold in the retail shops with PrEPs. The Kits will be sold at an average price of between Ksh 700 to Ksh 1000. The kits will benefit those who do not feel comfortable in visiting the VCT centers.
PrEP protects you from HIV only but does not protect against other S£xual transmitted diseases. PrEP is sometimes referred to by its brand name called Truvada. It is a dubbed as a contraceptive pill for HIV and while Post Exposure Prophylaxis PEP is a morning-after pill for HIV.
Who needs PrEP?
This is a great idea for someone who is HIV negative that has s£x in a variety of situations where condoms are not easily or always used for penetrative s£x (top or bottom).
It creates a huge emotional benefit for an HIV negative person that might be struggling to maintain their HIV negative status. People on PrEP say they suddenly started to relax and felt much less anxiety and guilt than they used to, their fear of catching HIV had been removed.
If you are protecting yourself with PrEP then you not only keep yourself negative, you keep all of your s£xual partners negative too. People who think they are negative but haven’t had an HIV test for a long time, have recently picked up the virus and don’t know it yet are the most likely people to pass the virus on.
Being on PrEP means that you do not have to worry about the status of your partner since you are protecting yourself. Remember that someone who knows they are positive and take their medication (ART) responsibly whilst not missing doses and undetectable cannot pass on HIV.
Undetectable people + people on PrEP = double the protection.
Drugs are mandated for people who behave or do the following;
A gay or bis£xual man who has had anal s£x without a condom or been diagnosed with a s£xually transmitted infection within the past 6 months;
Important to the man who has s£x with both men and women; or heteros£xual man or woman who does not regularly use condoms during s£x with partners of unknown HIV status who are at substantial risk of HIV infection (e.g., people who inject drugs or women who have bis£xual male partners).
Youth welcomed this great innovation that will make life much better for the majority of teens already ventures on s£x. The pills will be readily available across the country. The introduction of PrEPs will reduce stigma and discrimination against infected people. Will you use it?