Researcher Claudia Mora (CLAM/IMS/UERJ) gave an interview to the newspaper “Fala Roça” about PrEP and PEP, HIV prevention medications provided by Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), which has wide circulation in the Rocinha favela.
According to the 2014 HIV and AIDS Epidemiological Bulletin from the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that one million people live with HIV and AIDS in Brazil, with 70% being male. In 2023, 46,495 cases of HIV infection were reported in the country, representing a 4.5% increase compared to 2022. Of these cases, 63.2% were self-identified Black individuals (49.7% mixed-race and 13.5% Black), and 53.6% occurred among men who have sex with men (MSM). Despite a decline in mortality in recent years, 63% of those who died in 2023 were Black. These indicators reflect the concerning context of social and health inequalities, where information and prevention are essential pathways for change. “Prevention is a right, and it starts by exercising access to information,” says Claudia Mora.
The provision of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) began in Brazil in 2017. According to the Ministry of Health, PrEP is a preventive treatment where an individual takes a daily pill before sexual activity to prepare the body to fight potential HIV exposure. Those on PrEP undergo regular health monitoring, including testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), available in Brazil since 2010, is a combination of medications used to treat individuals who have experienced a risk of HIV infection, such as unprotected sex, condom failure, or even sexual violence.
According to Mora, Brazil aims to increase PrEP usage by 300% by 2027 and has implemented strategies to improve access to PEP. One key factor in achieving these goals is the communication strategies (community-based, mass media, and digital) mobilized to ensure the right to prevention while combating stigma and reducing health access inequalities.
The researcher is part of the PrEP South America study team, which seeks to understand the experiences of accessing, using, and managing Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in 17 cities in Brazil and four other South American countries.
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