This week, clinics in six provinces started the rollout of Lenacapavir, an injection that has been shown to be more than 96% effective in preventing HIV with just two jabs a year. This is part of a national rollout that was launched by the president last week. Of the 360 designated sites, 133 are in Gauteng. 

Since Monday, my colleagues and I at Health-e News have been on the ground, visiting various clinics to see how the public will receive this new HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). I started at Block TT Clinic in Soshanguve, in the north of Pretoria. 

My second stop was Maria Rantho Community Health Centre, also in Soshanguve. Getting the jab was never part of my plan. But the clinic’s cleanliness, the health workers’ positive attitudes and the short queue made me decide to get in line.

After about 15 minutes, it was my turn. A counsellor led me to a consultation room. 

I was anxious. I didn’t know what to expect.

“Do you know your HIV status? When was the last time you got tested?” she asked in a manner that immediately put me at ease. She asked about my sexual history and then explained the procedure: “It’s simple: get a negative test result and get the jab.” 

After my HIV test results came back negative, I was referred to a nursing assistant who took my vitals: blood pressure, height, weight, and urine analysis. 

The last step was opening a file. When I had my file in hand, I was taken to the emergency unit. Reality started kicking in – I’m terrified of needles, and just thinking about getting two made my skin crawl, but I convinced myself to endure it.

When my name was called I started panicking, but I soldiered on. The nurse could see that I was really scared.

I responded:

“Hi sister. I’m really scared of needles. Can I see the size? Is it too painful?” 

She laughed loudly, and asked if I was using any family planning services. “I have a copper IUD, which lasts for five years because I prefer long-term methods to avoid re-visiting healthcare facilities.”

She said I would have to return in two weeks for the first follow-up, and again in a month for the second.

With a calming voice, she started explaining: 

“This package has two needles and a container of four pills. The first two you’ll drink immediately after getting the two injections, and the other two after 24 hours. You have two options: to inject in your abdomen or your thighs because the injection needs to be injected where there’s enough fat.”

I then explained that I gave birth via C-section and I still get irritations and slight pains, so I asked if it’s possible to get injected in my arm instead. She agreed.

She started injecting me while another nurse held me very tight. They both suggested that I close my eyes so that I could not see the needles coming.

That first minute felt like I was getting open-heart surgery. I could feel my heart beating outside my chest. I couldn’t resist the fear. I just screamed when the first needle touched my skin. I told myself one more, then we are done.

Then the next shot was given, and they gave me the pills to take.

“You see, we are done. I’m going to let you stay outside for thirty minutes for observation. If you feel dizzy, nauseous, or anything unusual, let me know. Remember tomorrow, after drinking your pills, you’re free to have sex again,” she said.

After thirty minutes, I was ready to head home – well, the next clinic on my list. When I got home, my hands were swollen because I got a jab in each arm. But by the next morning, the pain had subsided, the swelling was down, and the pain was mild. I decided to stay indoors and observe my hands. I also didn’t want to miss the second dose of pills I had to take to complete the process. – Health-e News

Editor’s note: While there are key populations who are at a higher risk of acquiring HIV, experts say they are not the only targets, and anyone is eligible to receive LEN. It is up to individuals to assess their risk, as the country records around 170,000 new infections every year.