Public Health Wales funding enables expansion of HIV PrEP medication tracker, Preptrack, in multiple languages including Welsh
Funding from Public Health Wales has meant that an app designed to help PrEP users take their medication more effectively, is now available on Android and in multiple languages, including Welsh.
Preptrack is a free UK-based app which aims to support HIV prevention by reminding users when they need to take their PrEP – pre-exposure prophylactic – medication.
PrEP is an anti-retroviral medication which, if used correctly, is over 99% effective at preventing sexual transmission of HIV. However, in order to be effective, it is really important that the user takes the medication at the right time. Preptrack generates a schedule and creates reminders for the user when their dose is due to be taken, as well as signposting to relevant information and guidance.
To coincide with the end of the HIV Action Plan consultation, the Preptrack Foundation has worked with Public Health Wales to relaunch the app with options to use it in Welsh, as well as working with London Metropolitan University to provide access in French, Spanish, Italian, Polish and Romanian.
Zoe Couzens, Programme Lead for Sexual Health at Public Health Wales, said: “Preptrack is a practical solution that means that PrEP users can be confident that they are taking their medication in the most effective way. Public Health Wales is delighted to be able to support the expansion of Preptrack into the Welsh language, and also for Android devices, as making the app available for as many people as possiblewill help support PrEP use as part of the measures to prevent transmission of HIV. Increasing use of PrEP is a key part of the new HIV Action Plan for Wales, and making Preptrack more accessible will support that.”
Samuel Bell, Chair of the Preptrack Foundation and Lead Developer for Preptrack, said: “The Preptrack Foundation is very grateful for the support from Public Health Wales, which has made this re-launch possible. The Preptrack Foundation is an entirely voluntary organisation, so it is dependent on support from organisations like Public Health Wales to continue the development of the app. We’re really excited to be able to expand the app across Wales, the UK and beyond.”
Preptrack can be downloaded from the App Store on iOS devices and Google Play Store for Android. It is a free app and relies on user-provided information to track PrEP use, it is not a medical device and does not directly monitor HIV protection. The app does not collect personal data and all scheduling is done on the user's phone, meaning no information about PrEP-use or sexual activity is accessible to others. More information can be found at www.preptrack.co.uk.