THE Freedom of Expression Institute warned on Wednesday, World Aids Day, that patients exposed to the virus had the right to be told about medicines even if they could not afford them. “Prevention is not limited to informing South Africans about the ways they can get the disease,” the FXI said in a statement. “In some cases, prevention is still possible after a person has been exposed to the virus. In the case of (HIV-positive) mother-to-child transmission and sexual assault, it is vital that the patients are immediately and sufficiently informed about existing treatments that can prevent the infection from developing.” It added that though the medicines were not available at state hospitals, patients should still be told about them, their side effects, and where they could be obtained. Perhaps a patient’s relatives would be able to assist them with paying for expensive treatments, they said.