Brazil's public healthcare services to provide drugs for HIV prevention
The preventative drug therapy, known as Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), must be administered within three months. 
People who have been exposed to HIV infection risks, including as a result of workplace injuries, sexual violence, or consensual unprotected sex, can now obtain medication from the public healthcare system to prevent HIV infection in Brazil. Exposed people are advised to seek the drugs from a health service up to 72 hours after the exposure event, but ideally this should happen within two hours of exposure.
The preventative drug therapy, known as Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), must be administered within three months. Combination therapy has been provided to health professionals following contact with potentially infected materials since 1990. In 1998, PEP was extended to victims of sexual violence. And as of 2011, anyone with risky sexual behaviour became eligible to receive the therapy, but the prescription regulations were pending.
As of the regulation publication on Thursday (July 23), the government aims to expand supply and facilitate PEP prescriptions to allow patients to be medicated preventatively even when a specialized health provider is not available.
The first care following HIV exposure is considered a medical emergency. In all, the PEP consists of a 28-day therapy using four antiretroviral drugs recommended by the protocol – tenofovir, lamivudine, atazanavir, and ritonavir – for 28 days.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Brazil's public healthcare services to provide drugs for HIV prevention
