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PrEP Navigation

What is PrEP?

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  • Pre = before

  • Exposure = coming into contact with HIV

  • Prophylaxis = treatment to prevent an infection from happening

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Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a preventive HIV medication for HIV-negative individuals who are at risk of being exposed to and contracting HIV. The medications work to prevent HIV from establishing infection inside the body.

 

PrEP has been shown to reduce risk of HIV infection for all individuals who engage in sex, including gay and bisexual men, transgender women, heterosexual men and women, and those who inject drugs. However, PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy. It is not a cure for HIV.

 

 

Currently, there is no cure or vaccination for HIV, meaning that taking preventive measures is key. PrEP is useful for men, women, and trans-women who are at risk for HIV infection through sex and drug injection and are comfortable with taking a daily pill to prevent HIV.

 

If you can answer yes to any of the questions below, then PrEP may be one HIV prevention strategy to consider.

  • Do you use condoms sometimes or not at all?

  • Do you get often get STIs in your butt?

  • Do you often get STIs in your vagina?

  • Have you taken post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) more than once in the past year?

  • Are you in a serodiscordant relationship, where your sexual partner is HIV positive and you are HIV negative?

  • Are you in an open relationship or having anal and/or vaginal sex with multiple partners?

  • Are you having sex with someone whose HIV status you don’t know?

  • Are you having sex with someone in a city or region where the HIV prevalence is high—that is, where there are large numbers of people living with HIV?

Why should I take PrEP?

Pre-

Exposure

Prophylaxis

 

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Ask 

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ABOUT 

PrEP! 

What is PrEP?

What does taking PrEP entail?

If I take PrEP, does that mean I can stop using condoms?

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If you think you may be at risk for HIV and are interested in taking PrEP, speak to your doctor or main health provider.

 

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PreP is a pill that must be taken consistently once a day. Taking PrEP also includes getting regularly tested for HIV and STIs and going into your doctor’s office every 2–3 months to get your labs checked.

 

When taken every day, PrEP can provide a high level of protection against HIV, and is even more effective when it is combined with condoms and other prevention methods.

 

 

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If taken correctly and consistently, PrEP offers a lot of protection against HIV infection, but is not 100% effective. Condoms also offer a lot of protection against HIV infection if they are used correctly every time you have sex, but are also not 100%.

 

When deciding whether to use condoms while on PrEP, it is important to consider that PrEP does not protect against STIs

(gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, etc.) and does not prevent pregnancy, but condoms do. Combining the use of PrEP and condoms will only increase your protection against HIV infection.

  • Pre = before

  • Exposure = coming into contact with HIV

  • Prophylaxis = treatment to prevent an infection from happening

 

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a preventive HIV medication for HIV-negative individuals who are at risk of being exposed to and contracting HIV. The medications work to prevent HIV from establishing infection inside the body.

 

PrEP has been shown to reduce risk of HIV infection for all individuals who engage in sex, including gay and bisexual men, transgender women, heterosexual men and women, and those who inject drugs. However, PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy. It is not a cure for HIV.

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