SC Attorney General announces program to help sexual assault victims at risk for AIDS, HIV

CONWAY, SC (WMBF) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson unveiled a new program on Friday meant to help victims of sexual assault who are at risk for AIDS and HIV.

The program provides medication for victims who need it at no cost. The Attorney General’s Office said the medication normally costs up to $3,000.

Victims can also get the medication regardless of whether they have insurance, according to Johanna Haynes with Careteam+ Family Health and Specialty Care.

“Imagine suffering one of the most heinous things that can be committed against a person and then realize that you are being faced with the possibility, the reality that you may have contracted a deadly disease,” Wilson said.

Horry County is the third county in the state with the program. South Carolina is the first state with the program.

Statistics from the State Law Enforcement Division show Horry County had the most reported sexual battery cases in 2017 with 346.

In order to qualify for the program, a person must be a victim of sexual assault and meet the CDC criteria for exposure to HIV.

The assault also had to have occurred in South Carolina and had to have occurred within 72 hours of the initial visit to the emergency room.

The Attorney General’s Office teamed up with the Department of Crime Victim Compensation, Careteam+ Family Health & Specialty Care, Avita Pharmacy, LabCorp and the Rape Crisis Center for the news conference.

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