PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis and is a term used to refer to antiretroviral drugs taken orally to prevent being infected by HIV. Oral PrEP has been available in South Africa since 2015 and clinical trials have proven it to be safe and effective in the prevention of HIV. Oral PrEP, and other HIV prevention products in development, will ensure that at-risk individuals do not have to rely on their partners to prevent HIV infections, thereby giving them the power and the tools to take personal control of their health outcomes. Despite these obvious advantages, uptake among key populations, specifically Men-who-have-Sex-with-Men, sex workers, adolescent girls and young women, remains low.

Since 2015, we have been lobbying policymakers to ensure that PrEP features prominently in South Africa's country-prevention strategy and that healthcare workers offer it freely and without judgement, while at the same time ensuring that vulnerable populations and communities are comfortable with the full arsenal of preventative measures currently available. Our mandate also includes advocating for innovative delivery strategies that go beyond traditional health facilities to reach people in their own communities.

Our aim is to help researchers and policymakers get close to the PrEP end-user to ensure that together we meet the goal of zero new infections by 2030. We believe that meaningful social mobilization among affected populations is key to driving awareness and creating social understanding of PrEP as an effective prevention intervention. Our passion is to make those most at risk feel visible, heard and empowered when it comes to protecting themselves against the triple burden of disease, poverty and stigma.