Guyana to introduce PrEP towards reducing HIV transmissions

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Ministry of Public Health is planning to introduce Pre-Exposed Prophylaxis (PrEP) as an HIV transmission countermeasure. 

This is a course of drugs taken pre-emptively against the transmission of the disease, mainly targeted at vulnerable groups.

The target populations in Guyana for HIV transmission prevention are sex workers with a 6.1 per cent prevalence, men who have sex with men with a 4.9 per cent HIV prevalence, and transgender people with an 8.4 per cent prevalence.

This is according to a UNAIDS survey conducted in 2016.

PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is an HIV prevention method. 

People who do not have HIV take the medicine daily to reduce their risk of getting HIV if they are exposed to the virus.

Another countermeasure will see the government establishing a Public-Private Partnership with doctors within the private sector to whom patients will be referred for treatment.

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