#HackingHIV: LoveYourself and PrEP Pilipinas Launch New HIV Intervention Program
By: Kris Tangco HIV awareness and advocacy organization LoveYourself hosted #HackingHIV as part of its launch activities to introduce PrEP, an HIV prevention method, in the Philippines. In conjunction with project PrEP Pilipinas, in-charge of introducing the innovation into the country, the event was held at Greenbelt 3’s myCinema in Makati City last 29 November. What is PrEP? PrEP , which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a biomedical intervention for HIV infection in the form of a pill. The drug is a combination of Tenofovir and Emtricitabine and works by blocking HIV enzymes, preventing the virus from establishing an infection. Generally known by its brand name, “Truvada”, the pill is taken before possible exposure to HIV with a recommended dosage ranging from 100 mg Emtricitabine and 150 mg Tenofovir tablets up to 200 mg Emtricitabine and 300 mg Tenofovir tablets depending on the age and body weight of the client [ 1 ] . In contrast to antiretroviral drugs that are prescribed...