PrEP

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Are you HIV-negative but at very high risk for HIV?  Taken every day, PrEP can help keep you free from HIV.

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• What Is PrEP?

  • “PrEP” stands for preexposure prophylaxis. The word “prophylaxis” (pronounced pro fil ak sis) means to prevent or control the spread of an infection or disease. The goal of PrEP is to prevent HIV infection from taking hold if you are exposed to the virus. This is done by taking a pill that contains 2 HIV medications every day. These are the same medicines used to stop the virus from growing in people who are already infected.

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• Should I consider taking PrEP?

  • ​PrEP is not for everyone. Doctors prescribe PrEP for some patients who have a very high risk of coming in contact with HIV by not using a condom when they have sex with a person who has HIV infection. You should consider PrEP if you are a man or woman who sometimes has sex without using a condom, especially if you have a sex partner who you know has HIV infection. You should also consider PrEP if you don’t know whether your partner has HIV infection but you know that your partner is at risk (for example, your partner inject drugs or is having sex with other people in addition to you) or if you have recently been told by a health care provider that you had a sexually transmitted infection. If your partner has HIV infection, PrEP may be an option to help protect you from getting HIV infection while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.

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• How well does PrEP work?​ ​

  •  PrEP was tested in several large studies with men who have sex with men, men who have sex with women, and women who have sex with men. All people in these studies (1) were tested at the beginning of the trial to be sure that they did not have HIV infection, (2) agreed to take an oral PrEP tablet daily, (3) received intensive counseling on safer-sex behavior, (4) were tested regularly for sexually transmitted infections, and (5) were given a regular supply of condoms.

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• Is PrEP safe?

  • The clinical trials also provided safety information on PrEP. Some people in the trials had early side effects such as an upset stomach or loss of appetite but these were mild and usually went away within the first month. Some people also had a mild headache. No serious side effects were observed. You should tell your doctor if these or other symptoms become severe or do not go away.

Schedule a visit today to find out if PrEP is right for you! 

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