Shout empowers women to protect themselves from HIV
“We recognise that condom negotiation is a difficult territory to navigate, especially in situations where women are younger and less free to make themselves heard or in a situation of rape.”
Shout-It-Now, supported by PEPFAR, visited the Germiston Taxi Rank on May 12 to educate young women and the community about PrEP.
It was among the first NGOs to pilot semi-automated mobile HIV screenings and immediate on-site ART initiations in South Africa.
“We offer on-site PrEP initiation to at-risk adolescent girls and young women and a series of behavioural intervention programmes through our partners, CMT, to stop the spread of HIV. “We also assist in the fight against gender-based violence,” said Londiwe Sibiya from Shout.
Londiwe said by creating awareness and educating the youngsters, they enable people to own their tomorrow by taking action today. She said among many adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24, HIV presents a particularly high risk, with 1 350 new infections occurring every week in South Africa.
“We recognise that condom negotiation is a difficult territory to navigate, especially in situations where women are younger and less free to make themselves heard or in a situation of rape. “While we strongly advocate the use of condoms to prevent other STIs, PrEP places the control firmly in the hands of these women to protect themselves from HIV,” said Londiwe.
She said with the high-tech mobile clinic they can go to disadvantaged areas to educate young girls about PrEP.
“Our mobile clinics can test, screen, educate and where appropriate initiate high-risk young women onto PrEP treatment, as well as issuing their monthly medication at locations and times that are convenient,” said Londiwe.
What is PrEP?
PrEP is a pill that has two anti-HIV medicines taken daily to prevent HIV for HIV-negative people. PrEP is taken before you think you might be exposed to HIV.
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“Whereas the PrEP medication is similar to ART, it does not need to be taken for life but is useful for periods when our clients may be at high risk,” said Londiwe. PrEP must be taken correctly for it to be effective. “PrEP needs to be taken at the same time every day, and not skipping any doses. “It must be taken for 20 days before it becomes effective, so during this window period, clients must still use a condom. “If a client experiences a change in their circumstances, it means they are no longer at high risk of contracting HIV and may stop taking PrEP, but only 28 days after their last potential exposure to HIV,” said Londiwe.
She said the pills are for free and can be found in clinics.
“PrEP is free, but you first need to consult to see if PrEP is right for you, including getting tested,” said Londiwe.
Those who are interested in knowing more about PrEP and Shout-It-Now can contact the organisation on 010 020 6021 or WhatsApp to start a private chat by sending Hi.
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) [email protected], or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi [email protected]
