What is PrEP?

Broken down, PrEP stands for:

Pre = before
Exposure = coming into contact with HIV
Prophylaxis = treatment to prevent an infection from happening

PrEP is highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, as long as the medication is taken correctly, as directed. However, PrEP does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy.

How to take PrEP?

How you take your PrEP depends on:

how far in advance you plan on having sex
how regularly you have sex.

For people whose HIV risk is through vaginal sex or injecting drug use, PrEP needs to be taken daily. For people whose risk is through anal sex, there are two additional options: four-days-a-week and on-demand dosing.

Switching between dosing options to match your sexual activity and patterns is totally OK. You can adjust your PrEP regime to best suit you as your situation changes.

Daily PrEP (1 pill per day) routine

On Demand PrEP / EBD

4 pills per week — also known as ‘the Ts and Ss’

Holiday PrEP

PrEP and other medications

PrEP does not interact with most other medicines.

If you are prescribed other medication, always tell your doctor (including your GP) that you are taking PrEP. You can also ask a pharmacist to check for drug interactions. This includes with over-the-counter medication.

It does not interact with alcohol or recreational drugs. It can be taken by people using hormonal contraceptives and most over-the-counter medicines. PrEP is safe for trans people taking hormones.

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (one of the two medicines in PrEP) may cause kidney problems, so should be used with caution in people on other medicines that also cause this.

These include some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), especially diclofenac.

Taking both drugs together can cause kidney problems. Other NSAIDs include ibuprofen and naproxen. Avoid using these medications if you are taking PrEP, or let your doctor know if you need to take them.

PrEP and side effects

Most people who take PrEP have no side effects and those that do tend to be most common during the first month of using PrEP.

Possible side effects include mild nausea, diarrhoea, bloating and headache.

PrEP can also affect your kidneys, which is why monitoring is important. This risk may be higher if you are older, are very small in body size, have certain other medical conditions or already have other medical conditions when you start PrEP.

PrEP can also reduce bone density by 1-5%, causing slight thinning of the bones.

Where to get PrEP?

On the NHS

PrEP is available from the NHS for people at high risk of HIV.

To find out more about HIV and how to access services in your area, click here.

Other reliable sources

Buying PrEP online see https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/how-get-prep-uk for more info.

Online pharmacy based overseas www.iwantprepnow.co.uk and www.prep.global – include direct links to online pharmacies selling PrEP
UK based pharmacy / private clinic eg Superdrug, Doctor 4 U or Same Day Doctor

Women & PrEP

Find out all you need to know about PrEP to help you decide if it’s right for you here.