Concerns that PrEP – Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and PEP – Post-Exposure Prophylaxis which are currently being administered in Zambia as a treatment plan to prevent HIV before a person is exposed and after a person is exposed to be contributing to increased cases of infertility has been denied.
Pharmaceutical expert and ruling UPND member Jerome Kanyika stated that a law should be enacted to persecute anyone giving misconceptions on drugs. Kanyika said this while responding to ongoing concerns by some members of the public that taking PrEP and PEP is causing infertility.
The Pharmaceutical expert stated that the these drugs have nothing to do with conception. He added that there is such issue in the media fraternity, he added that PREP and PEP is very important and so anyone miss-informing people should be brought to book. The former Pharmaceutical Society of Zambia president has since urged members of the public to join in the dissemination of accurate information and data on such issues.
In an interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, the pharmaceutical expert stated that there should be more sensitization on the use of such drugs from all the members of the public from different fraternities. Kanyika further added that if not handled well, such misconceptions can lead to the country posting high Numbers of HIV/AIDS infections.
According to global Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many expert guidelines recommend PrEP for those at high risk for HIV, including men who have sex with men, heterosexual men and women who have high-risk exposure (such as having a partner with known HIV infection, exchanging sex for drugs or money, or having sex with a person at high risk for HIV), people who inject drugs and transgender women.
