Kilimani ‘mum’ reveals PEP nightmare after sleeping with HIV positive man
As the world marked the World Aids Day, women on social media shared their experiences after going on Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) therapy.
PEP therapy is a medication that is taken to prevent one being infected with HIV after being exposed to the virus.
This came after a post on the popular Kilimani Mums Nairobi Uncensored Facebook page where a user narrated how she took the medication after she discovered she had just had sex with a HIV positive man.
UNPROTECTED SEX
The woman, whom we will not name for legal reasons, made the post to celebrate World Aids Day.
She discovered his status after insisting they take a HIV test after the act.
The man at first refused to go through with it but eventually gave in. Luckily for her, they had used protection, but the mother of one still took the drugs for the prescribed 28 days to prevent infection.
Majority of women who commented on the post, giving their experiences with the drug, claimed to be medical personnel, who came in contact with the virus while treating patients.
The majority of people given the drug are rape victims. A few members of the group admitted that they went on the therapy after having unprotected sex with a HIV infected person.
SIDE EFFECTS
In this case, majority are aged between 25 and 30, according to a health worker who wished to remain anonymous.
Another member said that some people who had “burst condoms” also used them.
The drugs are available for free at government clinics and hospitals as well as VCT centres, although one has to sometimes produce evidence as to why they need them so as to avoid misusing them, according to a ‘mum’ on the group.
The PEP, which are basically anti-retrovirals (ARVs) such as those administered to HIV positive patients, are given within 72 hours after exposure to the virus, have side effects ranging from rapid weight gain or weight loss, nausea, headaches, fatigue and diarrhoea.
