“PrEP”, an effective technique for preventing HIV

Since the discovery of sexual transmission of HIV in 1984, following its identification and isolation by researchers in viral oncology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, to arrive in the mid-2000s, HIV prevention methods focused mainly on sexual behavior such as: fidelity, abstinence and more particularly, the use of condoms for sexual acts.

If during the last decades the emphasis in awareness campaigns has been placed on the use of condoms with a component of distribution of these tools aimed at protecting sexually active people from sexually transmitted diseases, since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States in 2012, PrEp has become the new HIV prevention strategy.

What is PrEP?

PrEP is a strategy that has been adopted worldwide and particularly in regions with high HIV prevalence in order to prevent the virus.

Pre-Exposure Prohylaxis in English, which means Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis in French, the acronym PrEP stands for: Prophylaxis = avoid infection; Pre-exposure = treatment must start before (and continue following) possible contact with HIV. That is to say that the preventive treatment in question consists of taking an antiretroviral drug continuously or discontinuously.

This treatment is intended “to people who are not infected with HIV, who do not always use condoms when having sex and who are at high risk of contracting HIV. These are, in particular, men who have sex with men (MsH), transgender people, intravenous drug users with shared needles (UDIV), exposed sex workers s to unprotected sex, people from high prevalence regions (sub-Saharan Africa, Guyana, etc.), and people with multiple sexual partners”according to the AIDS Info Service association.

According to the French association for the fight once morest HIV and viral hepatitis AIDES, PrEP is not specific to HIV because some of the drugs related to PrEP are intended to prevent catching malaria while traveling, others reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

How do I take PrEP?

This preventive treatment available in Haiti and authorized by the MSPP since 2019, consists of taking 2 active molecules once morest HIV: emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil, which are combined in a single tablet called Truvada which is found under several other generic names.

There are two patterns of taking this drug, which are defined according to the frequency of sexual relations of the one who decides to take the drug.

1- Continuous scheme : 1 tablet per day at the same time, with a possible delay of 2 hours in case of forgetfulness

2- Diagram on demand : 2 tablets before intercourse, a maximum of 24 hours and a minimum of 2 hours before intercourse, then 1 tablet the next day and another 1 the day following.

Specialists say that for the continuous regimen, irregularities in taking the drugs do not pose great risks, but for the on-demand regimen, it is imperative to follow the formula to the letter.

Currently in Haiti, the PANOS Institute, which works, among other things, in the field of public health, is carrying out an awareness campaign on the use of this new method of HIV prevention, where artist and influencer lend their voice to the debilitation , through videos. This campaign also took the form of a challenge on social networks entitled “Èske w PrEP? “.

Advice @desca_darline brought to us in the 4th exit broadcast #PANOSENFO as part of the awareness campaign #PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis).https://t.co/Y3syHkXlqKpic.twitter.com/lWcuqsc88X

— Institut Panos (@panoshaiti86) April 12, 2023

“PANOS is always innovating when it comes to implementing awareness campaigns relating to responsible behavior vis-à-vis the dangers linked in particular to public health and the environment”, welcomed Taïna Camy, Deputy Coordinator of the Panos Institute.

In addition, for three years, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) has been carrying out, with the Panos Institute, an awareness campaign entitled “E=E (endetektab = entransmisib)”, to encourage people living with HIV (PvHIV) to continue taking their anti-retroviral (ARV) treatments so that the virus is no longer detectable in their blood and therefore they can no longer transmit it.