Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Thabo Molelekwa for Spotlight
Published on 2024-03-26 17:19:03
HIV prevention pills, also known as oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), consist of a combination of two antiretroviral medicines. When taken as directed by individuals who do not have HIV, these pills are highly effective in preventing HIV infection. Despite their availability in most public sector clinics in South Africa, the uptake of PrEP is not as high as expected.
Recent estimates from Thembisa, a prominent mathematical model of HIV in South Africa, indicate that only around 4% of sexually active adolescent girls and young women used PrEP in 2022. While this is an improvement from 0.6% in 2020, the rate of new HIV infections in this demographic remains alarmingly high, suggesting that more individuals should be accessing PrEP.
Cheryl Hendrickson, a senior researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand, acknowledges the increasing rates of PrEP uptake in South Africa but highlights the existing gap between those who could benefit from PrEP and those who are actually using it. One key reason for the low uptake is the persisting impact of HIV-related stigma, which prevents many individuals from adopting PrEP due to fear of judgement and misconceptions.
Another barrier to PrEP uptake is the lack of awareness, exacerbated by the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health campaigns promoting PrEP were hindered by pandemic-related restrictions, reducing the dissemination of information about these preventive measures. Professor Linda-Gail Bekker emphasizes the need for heightened public demand creation for PrEP to increase awareness and reduce stigma.
Furthermore, the clinic setting may pose a barrier to PrEP uptake, as some individuals feel unwelcome or face discrimination when accessing healthcare facilities. Bekker suggests that moving HIV prevention services outside of clinics and into community spaces may help reduce these barriers and enhance access to PrEP for young people.
Addressing healthcare worker attitudes and training is crucial to improving PrEP uptake. Adequate training for healthcare professionals is essential to ensure that they can provide inclusive and supportive care to diverse populations, including young people. Ritshidze, a healthcare monitoring group, reports instances of negative staff attitudes hindering the offering of PrEP to key populations.
Perceived lower risk of HIV infection and insufficient awareness also contribute to the low uptake of PrEP. To address these issues, it is crucial to increase public awareness of the importance of HIV prevention and behavior change. Offering a variety of PrEP options, such as oral pills, injections, and vaginal rings, can provide individuals with choices that suit their needs and preferences.
In conclusion, improving PrEP uptake requires addressing stigma, increasing awareness, enhancing healthcare worker training, and providing a range of options for HIV prevention. By overcoming these barriers, more individuals in South Africa can benefit from the protective effects of PrEP and reduce their risk of HIV infection.
Read the original article on Daily Maverick
