Roger-Luc Chayer
A Montreal gay dating website published a rather unusual message in late January in English, which said: « I bought too much PrEP and I would have to sell for a month if you want, hit me up »! This is an extremely disturbing message that requires us to explain exactly what PrEP is and the consequences for those who want to consume it on the black market.
PrEP, by its full name « pre-exposure prophylaxis » is a preventive treatment, in tablets, against HIV. It can only be used under the strict supervision of a specialist doctor and is effective only if all criteria are met such as regular intake and periodic blood tests.
It is almost impossible to get too much PrEP, as the individual said in his announcement, since the drug is very controlled by both the doctor, the pharmacist and the Régie de l’Assurance-Maladie du Québec. If this individual ended up with a surplus of one month of tablets, it is either that he actually has a prescription that he does not consume to smuggle, or that it is false PrEP , pills made with no one knows what!
In any case, the worst case scenario can be considered when there is a traffic of tablets as powerful and with consequences as serious as vital. The seller was advertising in a young environment. Imagine a young person who has already heard about PrEP against HIV and decides to buy some pills to protect themselves before sex.
Obviously, the seller will not tell him, if it is the real medicine, that to be effective, it must be taken under medical supervision for a certain period of time and not the day before an unprotected relationship !!! According to the site of Clinique l’Actuel of Montreal, before taking PrEP, it is necessary to undergo an HIV test because in the presence of the virus, the drug is useless. You can take the medicine for a short time. It is then necessary to take two tablets between 2 and 24 hours before a sexual relation at risk, then 1 tablet 24h and 48h after, one does not do it any way. The young person who would take a pill before a relationship and who thinks it would be protected would be a big mistake, because even if you follow the treatment properly, it is only 92% effective, under the best conditions.
But if this same young person gets his supplies with a fake medicine that contains little or no active molecules, he will be at risk of contracting HIV very quickly. Same for anyone who becomes unknowingly HIV-positive, who consumes a false PrEp or the wrong way. The latter could not only transmit to many people his HIV, he could also develop resistance to triple therapy once detected.
Selling PrEP smuggling is one of the most unconscious acts that can exist. When I am told « it’s not worse than selling Fentanyl that kills … ». Yes it’s worse because if the young person acquires HIV, he can pass it on to many people and break up a lot of lives, including his own. Such smuggling must be reported to the police and most importantly, you should avoid using any medicine without the supervision of a doctor.