PrEP: Which Safe is Safe Enough

PrEP is a daily HIV prevention tablet that reduces the risk of contracting HIV through intercourse by 99% and by 74% among substance abusers. The pharmaceutical company Gilead created two FDA-approved PrEP treatments: Truvada and Descovy.

PrEP costs about $1,300, and considering the current economic situation, it would run into thousands or millions of Nigerian naira depending on the exchange rate. Although it is not readily available, you can get it in some Nigerian private hospitals.

The distribution of PrEP in Nigeria is impractical and “may not be possible anytime soon,” according toSteve Aborisade, the advocacy and marketing manager at the non-profit AIDs HealthCare Foundation (AHF).

According to him, the medication is overpriced and “will be an additional burden for a country like Nigeria still trying to put people on antiretroviral.” PrEP is available in African countries like South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The more common means of prevention in Nigeria when you have unprotected sex is post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which can be used to prevent infection after exposure.

PrEP however is essential for those who are at risk for HIV, like people who have multiple sex partners, sex workers, and homosexuals.

Even though you still have to test yourself regularly and explain to your sex partner(s) that you do not want to use a condom because you are on PrEP. This disclosure is important because they have the right to either accept or decline.