What is PrEP?
PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, which is a treatment you should consider if you’re at risk of contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). PrEP involves taking medication every day that can reduce your chances of catching HIV.
The FDA approves the use of two drugs for PrEP:
Truvada®
Truvada contains emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, which are antiviral medicines. The CDC recommends Truvada for preventing HIV in anyone at risk because of their sexual activities or injection drug use.
Descovy®
Descovy also contains antiviral medicines – emtricitabine with tenofovir alafenamide. The CDC recommends Descovy for preventing HIV in anyone at risk from sexual infection, but as it hasn’t undergone studies for receptive vaginal sex, it might not be the right medication for certain people.
If your lifestyle involves engaging in activities that put you at a higher risk of catching HIV, PrEP can protect you, providing you take your medication regularly as directed.
Do I need to take PrEP?
There are federal guidelines in place that outline who should receive PrEP. The treatment is for people who don’t already have HIV but are at risk through sex or injectable drug use. If you’ve tested negative for HIV, you should consider taking PrEP if you have any risk factors.
PrEP is a sensible way to protect yourself against HIV infection if:
- You’ve had vaginal or anal sex within the last six months with someone who has HIV
- You regularly have unprotected sex
- You’ve tested positive for any other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
PrEP is also suitable if you’re injecting drugs, and your injection partner has HIV, or you share drug paraphernalia like needles and syringes with other people.
PrEP is also worth considering if you have an HIV positive partner, and you’re thinking about getting pregnant. PrEP can help to protect you and your baby from HIV infection during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine Clinic can go through the benefits of taking PrEP with you and help you decide if you need to take it.
How effective is PrEP?
Research indicates that your risk of contracting HIV through sex when taking PrEP drops by 99%, providing you take your medication consistently. If you inject drugs, your risk of HIV infection drops by 74% when taking PrEP.
It’s vital that you take your PrEP medication every day to achieve these reductions in risk. You also need to take an HIV test before starting your treatment, and another every three months while on the medication.
To ensure maximum protection, you should take PrEP for seven days before having receptive anal sex and 21 days before having receptive vaginal sex or injecting drugs.
To find out more about the benefits of PrEP, call Infectious Disease Associates & Travel Medicine Clinic today or book an appointment online.
