PrEP HIV

 

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Do you or someone you know worry about HIV?

You are going places and have goals - so here’s what you need to know about your HIV prevention options. This information can support you in making decisions about your sexual health. Thanks to major scientific advances, HIV is more preventable than ever. You may already know about some HIV prevention options such as male and female condoms, screening and treating sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and regular HIV testing - but let's talk about a few more:

PrEP, PEP & TasP

  • PrEP​, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a prescription medication called Truvada that an HIV-negative person takes daily to prevent infection.

  • It is highly effective when taken every day and can be used by men and women to protect themselves during vaginal, front hole, or anal sex or when sharing needles.

  • PEP​, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is a prescription medication that an HIV-negative person takes for 28-30 days AFTER a possible exposure to HIV.

  • PEP is most effective the sooner it’s started, and must be started within 72 hours of the exposure.

  • TasP, ​or treatment as prevention, is when a person living with HIV is taking HIV medications to keep the virus at very low levels (called undetectable), then there is effectively no risk that they could transmit HIV to an HIV-negative person.

  • All of these HIV prevention strategies are tools you can use alone or in combination to reduce your risk of getting HIV and be in charge of your sexual health.

Watch this video and learn more about what PrEP means and how it might be an option for you.

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The information in these modules is not intended to replace the services and advice from a medical or mental health professional.

 

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Explore More

  • Take the PrEP, PEP & TasP Quiz: How much do you know about PrEP, PEP & TasP?

  • PleasePrEPMe: Your Home for PrEP and PEP Access Links to an external site.: Use the interactive map to find a site for treatment near you.

  • Prevention Access Campaign Links to an external site.: More on treatment and prevention. Equal Access to the HIV Prevention Revolution Based on #ScienceNotStigma. All people living with HIV have a right to accurate and meaningful information about their social, sexual, and reproductive health.

  • PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It’s a daily pill that can help prevent HIV. If you don’t have HIV, taking PrEP every day can lower your chances of getting HIV from sex by more than 90%.

  • Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a series of pills you can start taking very soon after you’ve been exposed to HIV that lowers your chances of getting it. But you have to start PEP within 72 hours, or 3 days, after you were exposed to HIV, or it won’t work. The sooner you start, the better it works — every hour matters.

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