PUTTING MYTHS
ABOUT PREP TO BED
The Medicines Control Council (MCC) has recently registered the use
of a combination of two antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) as a form of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication to reduce HIV infection in
HIV-negative individuals. This had led to widespread speculation.
Professor James McIntyre, CEO of the Anova Health Institute, aims to
dispel some of the myths surrounding this powerful weapon in the fight
against HIV.
T
he Anova Health Institute is an NGO dedicated to
improving health of all South Africans with particular
emphasis on HIV. The organisation is currently
spearheading WETHEBRAVE.co.za, the first large
scale sexual health campaign ever in South Africa to specifically
address gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM)
– the country’s most at risk population for HIV acquisition and
transmission.
MYTH: PrEP cannot protect me from getting HIV
Multiple clinical trials and research studies have proven
that PrEP can safely add up to 92% protection against HIV
when taken daily. In real life settings, PrEP has prevented
100% of HIV in