Prep is one of the biomedical tools available to fight HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis n.Se is a preventive antiretroviral treatment aimed at people at high risk of exposure to the virus. Leticia Remón Serrat of the Network Association explained that it is “very efficient”, but that efficiency can be reduced “significantly” if it is not considered appropriate. It should be taken every day at the same time each day. However, it does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections.

Although in general in all places the measures to take the Prep are similar, in each territory there are different criteria. In the case of Navarre, people over the age of 18, homosexual men, bisexual men or men who have sex with them, sex workers and trans women can ask for the medication. In addition, there are two criteria to meet in the last year: the existence of more than ten sexual partners, the practice of anal sex without condoms, the use of drugs in sex, post-exposure prophylaxis Prep or the existence of one or more sexual infections.

According to Remón, the demand should be extended to other women: “We believe that not all women who have sex with many people are sex workers. Many women, for the same reasons as many men and for gender reasons, have difficulty using condoms. Therefore, these may also have a high risk of exposure.” Therefore, he considers that the offer should be more “personalized”: “It is not only sexual orientation, it has a lot to do with the life of the moment, with the ways of caring and relating, with communication strategies and with others”.

To apply for the medication, you have to go to sexual and reproductive health care centers. Two are the ones that offer this attention in Navarra: Andraize in Pamplona and Tudela. In these centers, patients who come to the center and want to take the medicine are taken to the Hospital of Navarra or to the Hospital of Tudela. In addition, the Sare Association, in addition to conducting a rapid HIV testing, provides sexual health counseling and, in some cases, refer them to the hospital.

How to obtain it

People who start treatment are followed every three months to see that everything is going well, that they do not have other sexual infections and that they do not have other health problems. In short, this is a treatment that, although it does not have many consequences, can cause kidney damage for a long time. Also, it is not recommended for people with kidney or liver problems.

At first it was “few” who took the medicine, but according to Remón, the use has increased as people have known it. He highlighted that taking the medication "gives some peace of mind" to people from different groups: “This can make you feel that you are a person who takes care and takes care and takes preventive measures.” It also says that there are adverse reactions: “Others have a great stigma and associate it with promiscuity and other things.” For this reason, he believes that we must be “careful” not to stigmatize certain collectives, practices and uses again.