PrEP

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

PrEP therapy helps prevent the spread of HIV to those who are exposed to the virus via sex or injectable drug use.

How it works.

  • What medications are used?

    There are two medications approved for use for PrEP therapy: Truvada® and Descovy®.

    Truvada® is for all people at risk through sex or injection drug use.

    Descovy® is for people at risk through sex, except for people assigned female at birth who are at risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex.

    If PrEP sounds like it would be of benefit, check out our LGBTQ+ healthcare providers list to get started with a PrEP prescriber.

  • How effective is PrEP?

    PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by nearly 99% when taken as prescribed.

    Although there is less information about how effective PrEP is among people who inject drugs, we do know that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74% when taken as prescribed.

    PrEP reaches maximum protection from HIV for receptive anal sex (bottoming) at about 7 days of daily use.

    For receptive vaginal sex and IV drug use, PrEP reaches maximum protection around 21 days of daily use.

  • Is PrEP safe?

    PrEP is safe, but some patients may experience side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain. These side effects typically go away over time.

    Tell your healthcare provider about any side effects that are severe or do not go away.

LGBTQ+ inclusive providers