By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ONLY 132 people in 2023 were reported to be on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a critical HIV prevention drug freely available in The Bahamas, according to Dr Nikkiah Forbes, director of the National HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Programme at the Ministry of Health.

She described this figure as too low, noting it has increased by only 3.3 percent since 2019.

The Bahamas recorded 130 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in 2023, with around 4,098 people living with the virus by year-end –– one percent of the population.

Dr Forbes said people who have tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection within the last six months to a year, those with multiple partners, and those who do not consistently use condoms would benefit from PrEP.

“If the person is presenting or has syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, or genital herpes, they could also have contracted HIV, so they would benefit from the HIV prevention pills,” she said.

“This may also be a pill for persons who are in a sexual relationship with someone who’s HIV positive.”

She also noted that people who may be unable to negotiate safe sex due to intimate partner violence or gender-based violence could benefit from the drug. 

She emphasised the need for healthcare providers to educate their patients about the medication and to become educated themselves.

“Healthcare providers should be updated and knowledgeable about PrEP,” she said. “It should be part of their training. There’s an opportunity when patients come for their annual check-up or present with a complaint regarding a sexually transmitted infection. Healthcare providers should include HIV testing and risk assessments for HIV and STIs. If a person is at risk and could benefit from PrEP, providers should offer it to the client, alongside HIV prevention recommendations.”

The Tribune contacted Dr Forbes following a press conference where The Bahamas AIDS Foundation received a $100,000 donation spread over five years from The Bahamas Striping Group of Companies.

The foundation’s president, Aramie Ford Strachan, also discussed PrEP uptake, highlighting that people are often hesitant to be candid with their doctors.

Mrs Strachan noted that, according to 2022 statistics, about 93 percent of people with HIV/AIDS knew their status.

“We have of those 93 percent of people who know that they are HIV infected, only 82 percent of those people are actually on treatment,” she said. “So some people are tested, they know that they’re positive, but they choose not to take medication.”

“It’s also important for us to ensure that those individuals understand the significance of getting on antiviral medication, and 81 percent of those who are on treatment are virally suppressed, which means they are not capable of transmitting the disease.”