THOUSANDS of people at the highest risk of acquiring HIV in B.C. are benefiting after a successful year since government expanded coverage for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
“Since expanding access to PrEP on January 1, 2018, nearly 3,300 people have been prescribed the potentially life-saving medications. It is positive to see people are participating in government’s expansion of this program and taking charge of their health by protecting themselves from HIV / AIDS,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “For more than a year, people at high risk of HIV infection have had access to these treatments, and through this program, we will continue to work with the BC Centre for Excellence (BC-CfE) in HIV / AIDS, and health-care and community partners, to prevent more cases and support people who are living with HIV.”
The preventive treatment has been available at no cost through the BC-CfE for eligible British Columbians, including men who have sex with men, transgender women, people with ongoing relationships with HIV-positive sex partners who are not on regular HIV medication or have a low viral load, and people who share drug-use equipment with a partner known to be living with HIV.