Interested persons can call the telephone number 078 235 632 and make an appointment for baseline assessment, during the regular shifts:
Every Tuesday and Thursday between 14:00 and 18:00 hrs
HIV Counselling Office at the Clinic for Infectious Disease and Febrile Conditions
Make an appointment by calling: 078 235 632
Moreover, interested persons can register to participate in the programme in the office of the Association STRONGER TOGETHER every Wednesday between 17:00 and 20:00, where most of the baseline assessment procedure can be completed, too.
How long will it take to get PrEP?
This pilot programme strives to simplify to the maximum extent possible the necessary steps towards commencement of PrEP. It is expected to take 2 to 5 days at most from the initial
appointment of the interested person, which is basically the time to the first coming regular shift of the PrEP station (Tuesday and Thursday) – as soon as laboratory tests are completed for the blood sample taken during the initial appointment.
What services will I receive?
If it has been confirmed that PrEP is the appropriate solution for you, you will receive a fully free of charge package of services for your sexual health, including:
· regular provision of PrEP tablets
· regular HIV testing
· testing for hepatitis B and hepatitis C
· testing for other sexually transmitted infections: syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia
· vaccination against hepatitis B (if you have no previously developed antibodies)
· regular medical examination
· condoms and lubricants
· counselling for sexual-health-related issues and
· information materials
Initial appointment and baseline assessment
During the agreed time slot (your initial appointment), a trained PrEP navigator will provide you with all the necessary information related to PrEP and to your participation in the programme.
If you are interested to participate, you will be asked to give your written consent and undergo the suitability assessment process. The assessment will be carried out immediately in a short interview with the PrEP navigator and a doctor, which will tell us whether PrEP is suitable HIV protection method specifically for you.
Moreover, during your initial appointment a blood sample will be drawn for the necessary baseline tests. The results from these tests will be ready in 2 to 5 days (depending on the day of the initial appointment), and if everything is in order, you will be immediately administered your first quantity of PrEP tablets (tenofovir disoproxil + emtricitabine) that will cover your first month. In other words, if your first appointment is on Tuesday, already on Thursday you may be able to collect your initial stock of PrEP tablets.
How will I be assessed if PrEP is a suitable option for me?
PrEP suitability in this pilot programme is assessed pursuant to a protocol that is complaint with the last updated World Health Organisation recommendations on PrEP.
PrEP suitability will be established if the person:
· is at least 18 years of age
· is in position to show up for the consecutive follow-up appointments (1 month after the initial appointment and then every 3 months)
· has a documented HIV negative status at the time of registration or not earlier than 7 days before commencing PrEP (HIV status will be checked at the initial and at every consecutive appointment)
· has a GFR ≥ 60, estimated according to the creatine clearance
· is at higher risk for HIV through sexual exposure (which will be verified with an appropriate questionnaire)
PrEP cannot be used by a person that:
· is already infected with HIV or presents with symptoms that indicate an acute HIV infection, and has recently been exposed to a risk of infection
· has indications for post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV
· has allergy or contraindications to any of the two medicines used in the PrEP combination
Persons that have no medical barriers to using PrEP, but whose behavioural assessment will show that this prevention tool is not suitable for them, will be advised about best ways to stay healthy and protected from HIV.
Follow-up appointments
PrEP programme beneficiaries will have to show up for follow-up appointments in the course of the year: one months after commencing PrEP and then every three months. Depending on the appointment, additional questionnaires, medical follow-ups and blood samples may be required. Follow-up appointments, though mandatory, may still be subject to certain level of flexibility, to the extent allowed by the PrEP administration method. If, for any reason, you are prevented from showing up for a follow-up appointment, the pilot programme’s team will accommodate your need and schedule the most appropriate time slot for you.
Participation in the pilot programme is voluntary, confidential and free of charge!
All documentation and forms for each participant will be designated only with an anonymous code and treated in strictest confidentiality. Personal data related to participation in the pilot programme will be protected in accordance with the law (Law on Personal Data Protection, Law on Health Protection and Law on Patients’ Rights Protection).
Medical examinations and the necessary laboratory tests will be carried out at the expense of the mandatory health insurance, and the participants in this pilot programme will be relieved of making any co-payments.
If a participant holds no active health insurance, the costs of the initial and all follow-up appointments will be fully covered, until the health insurance issue is resolved, for which adequate professional assistance will be provided.
Participation in the programme is voluntary, and participants are free to leave the programme at any time.