Question
Why they do not counsel during PEP?
21 August 2008. Related: All topics, PEP/PEPSE.
Why is there no preventative counselling or HIV education when people take PEP in the UK?
I had PEP last year. The first thing I was told at the hospital was that ‘HIV is a weak virus and difficult to catch for a heterosexual man’ – I was then told ‘the chances of a man getting it from a woman are 1/1500’.
I then took a course of PEP and at no point received any education about the details of how HIV is transmitted.
I assumed that there may have to be special circumstances such as the presence of blood for HIV to be transmitted due to these strangely low odds of catching the virus.
A little knowledge was a dangerous thing for me as I now believe I have caught the virus and this would have been avoided if I had my beliefs pre-PEP.
I hope that HIV education will improve as I fear there is a real possibility that heterosexuals will become complacent as I did.
All promotional literature at the clinic I went to was aimed at gay men or Africans so I didn’t pick anything up.
I was given a jab for Hep B and that was it – I am intelligent, studied biology at school (pre HIV – early 80s) and would have easily taken in any lessons.
Answer
It is really strange to hear this. I am afraid our work is mainly in the field of treatment and I have not been confronted with the prevention policies much. I know that in some hospitals in London people on PEP are counselled, but apparently it is not the common practice.
Pity, as this is particularly important. You are raising a very pertinent point.
Comment