Agnes M.

Agnes M. ran out of HIV prevention medicine yesterday.

A sex worker, Agnes has been on pre-exposure prophylaxis since 2020.

I had gone for HIV testing and after I was found negative, the doctor talked about PrEP and sensitized me about the importance of being on PrEP. As a sex worker, I saw there was a need of being on it.

If she takes the pill each morning, it is virtually impossible for her to become infected with HIV.

I have sex, sometimes protected, sometimes unprotected, with people I don’t know their status.

PrEP offered her a reprieve from the constant fear of infection. For years now, she has been visiting the clinic each month to get a refill of the drugs. Sometimes, if she was busy, a colleague would bring it to her.

Three weeks ago, she heard on the radio that because of a decision made by the Trump administration, all HIV services in Uganda had been cut off for 90 days. She only had 21 PrEP pills left.

I got worried. I’ve been getting my protective medicine. How am I going to survive? What came to mind is that only the rich will be affording the PrEP, because it’s going to be sold, and I can’t afford to buy it.

After friends confirmed that her clinic was no longer offering PrEP, she didn’t bother to go and try to get her regular refill. She thought about cutting the pills she had in half but was worried they wouldn’t be effective. Instead, she decided to just keep taking them until they ran out. That was yesterday.

I am worried. I am worried because today I have not taken my pill.

It’s not as if she can stop working. She has five children she needs to feed.

This is the business where I get something to sustain myself. I will try to opt for condoms, but when I reach in the room, sometimes the clients tear the condoms. That puts me at risk.

She has resolved to go to the clinic tomorrow to see for herself whether it is open. Or if anyone can give her advice on where to access PrEP.

I think when I go there, they will ask me for money that I don’t have.