WHAT IS PREP?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): a combination drug taken as a single tablet by HIV-negative people to prevent HIV infection.
If taken as instructed, studies show it can be up to 99% effective in preventing HIV infection.
MAKING SURE PREP REACHES UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
The vast majority of PrEP users are gay and bisexual men, primarily because awareness campaigns in Europe have been targeted at them and they are more likely to visit sexual health clinics.
Health authorities need to consider ways to improve PrEP uptake among other disproportionately impacted groups, including trans men and women, sex workers, migrants, drug users, and cis women who may be exposed to HIV through sex or drug use.
Possible solutions include targeted education campaigns, in partnership with NGOs; equipping civil society to provide PrEP to key populations who may not wish to engage with state authorities; offering PrEP to women through family planning services as an extra protection option; peer navigation; and improving online services for people that live far from participating clinics.
WHAT CAN LEGISLATORS DO?
If necessary, vote to make PrEP available through public health systems
Approve funding for implementation and delivery, scale up local pilot programmes, and ensure the government is buying PrEP at the best market price to maximise availability
Tell your colleagues about PrEP and collectively push for targeted education campaigns
Request anonymised data from health authorities to ensure PrEP is reaching the right populations
Approve funding for community NGOs who can work with impacted groups and act as PrEP providers where appropriate
Sustain investment in initiatives that have targeted groups with high uptake rates
Support delivery models that are simplified, demedicalised and digitalised
USEFUL LINKS AND RESOURCES
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/estimates/preventionstrategies.html
https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv-and-sexual-health/prep-pre-exposure-prophylaxis
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hiv-drug-prep-to-be-available-across-england
https://www.tht.org.uk/news/heterosexual-hiv-diagnoses-overtake-those-gay-men-first-time-decade
https://www.who.int/teams/global-hiv-hepatitis-and-stis-programmes/hiv/prevention/