HIV Prevention: Group calls for adoption of PrEP drug

For Nigeria not to be left behind in the fight against HIV, an advocacy organisation, New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS), has called for the adoption of a new HIV prevention product known as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Nigeria.

NHVMAS made the call during the second edition of a media training for female journalists in partnership with the Association of Female Journalists in Nigeria to improve the health outcome of vulnerable women in the country.

The Executive Director, NHVMAS, Mrs. Florita Durueke described PrEP as a medicine taken to prevent HIV infection.

She also defined “oral pre-exposure prophylaxis” as the use of the antiretroviral drugs, tenofovir and emtricitabine (TDF), to reduce the risk of HIV infection for men and women when taken as directed. According to her, a daily adherence to Tenofovir-based regimen like Truvada by  uninfected persons will prevent the replication and infection  of the virus.

Speaking on who needs PrEP, she itemised them as transgender women, women who sell sex, FSW, women in sero-discordant relationships and sexually active adolescent girls.

Others include: HIV-positive sexual partner, recent bacterial STI, high number of sex partners, history of inconsistent/no condom use among others.

Durueke also spoke on Event-Driven PrEP, ED-PrEP, which she described as Pre-exposure Prophylaxis on demand.

She explained: “On-demand’ also called “event-based” or “event-driven” use of PrEP refers to taking PrEP only when one is going to have sex, rather than taking it every time. 

“ED-PrEP involves taking a double dose of TDF/FTC (Truvada) or TDF/3TC (Tenolam) between two and 24 hours before sex is anticipated and then, if sex occurs, one pill 24 hours after the double dose and one pill another 24 hours later.

“Then according to the World Health Organisation, WHO, if sex occurs several days in a row, one pill should be taken each day until 48 hours after the last event,” Durueke said.