Entangled Bodies in a PrEP Demonstration Project

Following high levels of efficacy in PrEP clinical trials, demonstration projects were launched to assess its real-world effectiveness when rolled out as part of programmes. Based on an ethnographic study of a PrEP demonstration project in South India among female sex workers, we analyse a curious set of narratives in which participants claim PrEP as a ‘cure all’ for a range of physical ailments. What becomes clear is how participation in this project has intensified a relationship with their bodies, one that has led these women to reflect on and track various changes pertaining to bodily wellness. ‘The body’ becomes a highly reactive site that entangles global HIV science, sex workers’ engagements in health promotion, and regimes of self-care. Engaging with these local biologies holds important insights for designing and implementing future biomedical interventions.