2 days ago
99% protection vs HIV: What is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP and where can you get it?
The Philippines is currently facing a sharp rise in HIV cases, with a staggering 500% increase reported among the youth.
Based on the latest data from the Department of Health, there are 148,831 recorded cases of HIV in the Philippines.
As the country faces a surge in HIV cases, DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa has urged the public to use condoms, lubricants, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
In a previous interview with GMA News Online, Dr. Deano Reyes, an LGBTQ+ health doctor and the medical director of Hara Clinic, a holistic gender and sexual health clinic, said PrEP is among the most effective ways to stay protected against HIV.
'There is this medication called PrEP where you take one pill every day, and if you take it properly, it has a 99% protection against HIV,' Reyes explained.
In PrEP, patients regularly take one pill every day. There is also an event-driven PrEP, where patients take two pills of PrEP between two and 24 hours before they anticipate having sex.
But it's important to remember that while PrEP offers 99% protection against HIV, PrEP only protects against HIV. It doesn't offer protection from other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia, syphilis, or gonorrhea.
(Condoms are only 95% effective at protecting against HIV and other STIs)
In the Philippines, the primary PrEP medicine is a combination of two antiviral drugs: Emtricitabine (FTC) and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (TDF).
According to LoveYourself Inc., a non-government organization in the Philippines that offers free HIV testing, counseling, and treatment, PrEP works by blocking HIV enzymes, thereby preventing the virus from establishing an infection.
In the country, PrEP is commonly known by its brand name Truvada, and is taken before potential exposure to HIV.
The recommended dosage typically ranges from 100mg of Emtricitabine and 150mg of Tenofovir to 200mg of Emtricitabine and 300mg of Tenofovir, depending on the patient's age and body weight.
Where to get PrEP?
PrEP is available in some medical facilities in the Philippines. Here is where you can avail it:
Love Yourself Inc.: Love Yourself offers free PrEP. To avail of PrEP, simply sign up using the forms available on their social media account. Facebook.
My Hub Cares: My Hub Cares is another medical institution that also offers free PrEP. You can avail of their medicine by going to their clinics in Pasay, Ortigas and Alabang or you can have it delivered to your home. Website.
Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP) - SHIP is a non-government organization that also offers free PrEP through their Sail Clinics located in Makati and Cavite. Facebook.
Private health care facilities - PrEP is also offered in private health clinics in the Philippines, such as Hara Clinic, Medi Prime Clinic and Pulse Clinic Manila, among others.
Get tested, stay protected. — LA, GMA Integrated News
