HIV/AIDS

    HIV benefits

    What are the benefits of being on HaloCare’s HIV/AIDS disease management programme?

    Once your registration is approved by your funder, your HIV Chronic Benefit is activated.

    • Six-monthly doctor consultations for follow-up assessment.
    • Six-monthly monitoring blood tests related to your HIV management.
    • Medication clinically approved for you, as per clinical information supplied.
    • On-going counselling, support and education whether telephonically, via SMS or e-mail.
    • On-going review of results and treatment regimens with clinical suggestions and support to treating physicians and beneficiaries where any clinical concerns are noted.

    HIV PrEP benefits

    HaloCare’s HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) management programme

    PrEP for HIV involves the use of antiretroviral (ARV) medications to prevent HIV infection.  PrEP may be used during periods of perceived high risk of HIV acquisition. PrEP is recommended for use intermittently, as may be required and not life long as with HIV positive patients.

     PrEP is indicated for:

    • HIV-negative men who have sexual intercourse with men (MSM).
    • Transgender persons.
    • Heterosexual men and women (including adolescents).
    • Persons who inject drugs (PWID), who are assessed to be at high risk for HIV acquisition.
    • Sero-discordant couples (where one partner is HIV positive and the other partner HIV negative).
    • Persons who are unwilling or unable to consistently use male or female condoms.

    Contra-indications:

    • PrEP is not recommended for persons under the age of 15 or under 35kg.
    • A person who has had possible exposure to the HI virus (HIV) or is possibly in the window period of infection.
    • Persons with renal dysfunction.

    PrEP beneficiaries will require the following before authorisation of PrEP:

    • Pre- initiation counselling.
    • HIV Eliza and other baseline tests.
    • Full clinical examination to be done by the treating doctor.
    • A complete clinical history to be taken. Inform your doctor of any other chronic or acute condition that you may have.

    PrEP Treatment

    Current guidelines recommend Truvada (Tenofovir 200mg + Emtricitabine 300mg), once daily.

    On-going Management:

    • Always use PrEP in combination with other preventative measures.
    • Monitoring tests at three months and completion of course.
    • Annual HIV Eliza test.

    HIV PEP benefits

    HaloCare’s HIV Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) management programme

    Post (after) Exposure (a situation where a person is possibly exposed to the HI virus) Prophylaxis (treatment used in an attempt to prevent HIV infection).

    PEP treatment is the use of ARV’s to help prevent HIV infection after possible exposure to the HI virus.

    PEP may be taken due to:

    • After unsafe sex practices or a burst condom.
    • Exposure to blood or other body fluid from someone who is possibly HIV positive. This could be where the blood or body fluid enters a cut, an open wound, the eyes or mouth etc.
    • Needle-stick injury.
    • Sexual assault.
    • Other forms of assault where the person and assailant have had opened wounds.

    PEP treatment

    • Treatment must be started as soon as possible after possible exposure – within 72 hours (three days).
    • You need to take antiretroviral drugs for a period of four weeks (28 days).
    • Triple therapy is recommended.
    • You may possibly experience drug related side effects which must be reported so that treatment may be changed.
    • PEP is not guaranteed to prevent HIV infection

    PEP on-going management monitoring:

    • Either a rapid test or a laboratory HIV Eliza test must be done to confirm your current HIV status.
    • Your doctor must issue you with a prescription for Triple ARV therapy which you must start as soon as possible after exposure.
    • An HIV Eliza test must be performed again at six weeks, three months and six months after the date of the exposure to confirm your negative status.
    • HaloCare is available for counselling and advice regarding post exposure and management.
    • Should your HIV test at any point be positive, you must receive counselling and education regarding your HIV positive status.
    • You may call HaloCare with any questions and concerns, at any time.

    Please note a person who is HIV negative form drug resistance to the ARVs as it is the HI virus that becomes resistant to the drug, the person does not become resistant to the drug.