The Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) prevention drug was officially rolled out by the Government Thursday. The drug, Truvada, will be provided free of charge in selected health outlets, but will cost Sh3,600 a month in private pharmacies. Dr Sirengo said the programme mostly targeted discordant couples - where an HIV-negative person is living with an infected partner. While this (PrEP) is not a cure for HIV, the use of ARVs is an important step in reducing the overall rate of HIV infections,” he said. Sirengo said the oral drug should be taken seven days before sexual contact with a partner for it to work effectively.

Source: Standard Digital May 04, 2017 20:26 UTC