THE Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) is pursuing the option of an antiretroviral medication to prevent the contracting of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among vulnerable male homosexuals.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Managing-Director of SASOD, Joel Simpson, related that the organisation is seeking to introduce the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) pill among the local male homosexual population to safeguard against HIV. The WHO recommended as of September 2015, “… people at substantial risk of HIV infection should be offered PrEP as an additional prevention choice, as part of comprehensive prevention.” Truvada is the brand name of the medicine used for PReP; it is a combination pill of two HIV medications (tenofovir and emtricitabine) commonly used daily–alongside other measures, such as condoms–for HIV prevention.

To initiate the regular dissemination of this drug, a feasibility study must first be conducted and thereafter a demonstration exercise, both of which are of course prefaced by approval from the relevant government ministry. According to Simpson, the local human rights organisation has “been in conversation” with the Ministry of Public Health, through the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU) and the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) about introducing the drug, which may be able to reduce the chances of contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) by more than 90 percent.

“People are asking for the research, people are asking for the information to be able to say that this is a viable option that should be pursued, so we don’t see any impediments about pursuing work in this area,” Simpson highlighted. SASOD is seeking to first conduct a survey to ascertain whether the males would opt to use PReP.

“Not everybody will want to take a pill everyday. Many people will still prefer the traditional methods of HIV prevention, but we think a menu of options should be available to people, especially people who are most vulnerable to the disease,” he posited.

The first population targeted will be male homosexuals and if the study shows that this is a demanded measure of prevention, they would be administered the drug for nine months and tracked to determine whether it has been successful. The SASOD director mentioned that studies have not been conducted in Guyana vis-a-vis PReP, and noted that a demonstration project must first be conducted before implementing the medication to see how the drug works in the country context.

To enable this entire process, Simpson revealed that the organisation is in the process of “preparing all the documents” to submit an ethics review application to the health ministry, which according to him is expecting to see this application. A research ethics review is geared at protecting participants by minimising the harms or risk to which they are exposed during research activities.

The director also related that the organisation will be working alongside the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health agency and the Regional Office of the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), to introduce the medication. Estimating off-hand, he suggested that it would amount to US $75,000 to supply Truvada to 100 persons, but he questioned, “Is it expensive? Maybe… perhaps, but what’s the cost? Is the cost people getting HIV?” SASOD is nevertheless optimistic that it may be able to acquire a quantity of the drug free of cost, since a concept note was sent to Truvada’s manufacturing company, GILEAD Inc.