DURBAN - SITHEMBILE Mkhize, 35, not her real name, is a sex worker who is HIV-negative and vows to stay that way, thanks to the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEp) pill, she takes every day. Studies have shown that PrEp provides between 92% and 99% prevention and reduction in HIV risk for HIV-negative individuals who take the pills as directed.

Mkhize, who lives with her two sons in a RDP house in Umlazi south of Durban, starts her day at 5am by preparing them for school. Before she walks them to school which is about 3km from her house she takes the PrEp pill, which she calls the blue pill because of its colour.

The South African government started distributing PrEP pills to sex workers for free in March in a bid to curb the spread of HIV.

“The blue pill is helpful to us because we sometimes find ourselves in positions where our clients force us to have unprotected sex with them. The next thing you are HIV positive,” said Mkhize.