This website walks the user through a series of steps in the development of marketing and communication strategies to promote PrEP.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
[UPDATED July 2017J Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a medication which, when taken daily, can protect those who are not HIV positive avoid HIV infection. It is a critical prevention method for those who are at substantial risk for HIV infection.
The PrEP pill (brand name Truvada®) contains two medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine), both of which are actually used in combination with other medicines to treat HIV. Used as a method of prevention in the form of PrEp, when someone is exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use, these medicines can work to keep the virus from establishing a permanent infection in the non-HIV positive person. When taken consistently, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are at high risk by up to 92%. PrEP is much less effective if it is not taken consistently.
As of September 2015, WHO recommends that people at substantial risk of HIV infection should be offered PrEP as an additional choice in a comprehensive package of prevention services that also includes HIV testing, counseling, male and female condoms, voluntary medical male circumcision and others. PrEP can be combined with condoms and these other prevention methods to provide even greater protection than when used alone. People who use PrEP must commit to taking the drug every day and visiting their health care provider for follow-up every 3 months.
Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) efforts regarding PrEP need to be addressed to many audiences:
- Decision makers and health policy advocates - to create national strategies for PrEP as part of HIV prevention programs, and to create plans for distribution of PrEP and guidelines for its use
- Service providers - training to assess their own attitudes toward implementation of PrEP counseling, and to obtain training about screening patients who might be candidates for PrEP, and how to explain the process, especially the need to take the drug every day
- Individuals - to encourage PrEP users to take the drug every day and to seek follow-up with their providers every 3 months.
There is a growing resource base of materials on PrEP as the usage trends grow, several of which are included in this Trending Topic.
Banner: Image from a 5 minute video - Get PrEPared: What African women need to know! by HPTN and Wits RHI
Resources
The purpose of this guidance is to promote informed decision making on sexual health for women who are interested in PrEP.
It is written for service providers who provide HIV risk-reduction counseling services. This guidance is based on the informed-choice counseling approach.
This document provides basic guidance to program managers interested in developing a PrEP implementation program.
The document covers the following:
This document was developed to provide the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-Free, Menotred, and Safe) Initiatve country teams with practical guidance on building evidence to guide PrEP introduction for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). Countries will need to develop a vision for how PrEP for AGYW fits into their overall HIV prevention landscape and how to address challenges associated with its introduction.
This pamphlet was developed for the Kenya PrEP introduction program, and explains what PrEP is, how it works, who should take it, and how it can be used effectively.
This fact sheet was designed for a campaign to reach sex workers with information about PrEP. These materials were designed with input from local South African sex worker and youth programmes and have been well received by the target audiences.
This video offers practical and easy-to-understand information for young African women interested in using Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV. It presents PrEP as a "game-changer" in the lives of young African women, and explains how it works and how one should take it.
This is a series of posters designed for the PrEP campaign in South Africa intended to engage sex workers in finding out more about the use of PrEP. Some of the posters include information about what PrEP is, how it is used, and about its safety and effectiveness.
These materials were developed to introduce pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to the general population in Kenya. There were developed and tested with input from the intended audience. All of the versions of these materials are attached here in one file.
These materials were developed to introduce pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to men who have sex with men (MSM) in Kenya. There were developed and tested with input from the intended audience. All of the versions of these materials are attached here in one file.
These materials introduce PrEP to female sex workers in Kenya. They were tested with the intended audience and performed very well. Attached is a file with several versions of each material. More about this campaign can be found here.
This poster was designed to introduce Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Nigeria. It encourages anyone who is at risk for contracting HIV to talk to an HIV counselor immediately about PrEP. This material is part of the Nigerian National Agency for the Control of AIDS Demonstration Project.
This primerserves as a brief “how to guide” for providers interested in providing PrEP to their patients. It explains how to identify patients who may be candidates for PrEP, discussing PrEP with patients, and assessing how patients will pay for the treatment.
This brochure provides patients with basic information about PrEP such as what it is, who it is for, and how to start it.
This brochure briefly explains what PrEP is, when and how to talk to your doctor aobut whether you are a good candidate for PrEP, and what happens before, during, and after your visit.
This flow chart is intended for both consumers and health care providers, and helps them with accessing services and covering medical costs related to PrEP.
This page provides answers to many questions about PrEP, including:
Issued in New York in October 2015, this comprehensive document is intended for policy makers, clinicans, and managers who deal with distribution, implemention, and patient-related issues in the use of PrEP.
This is a video meant for consumers, explaining what PrEP does, how it works, and what side effects it may have.
This brochure was designed to be part of the introduction of PrEP to key audiences in South Africa.
This is a manual for training service providers in preparation for counseling adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) about PrEP. It includes sessions on HIV self perceptions of risk and attitudes towards AGYW, and on stereotyping, stigma and discrimination self-awareness.
This is a fact sheet for consumers, answering some basic questions:
- What is PrEP?
- Is PrEP right for you?
- Visit your doctor
- How can you get help to pay for PrEP?
This is a series of infrographics directed at the consumer, and providing answers to questions such as
- Are you ready for PrEP?
- How does PrEP work?
- How do I start it?
