What is PrEP?

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a preventive therapy given to individuals who stand a very high risk of being exposed to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). These of people could range from health workers, individuals with partners who are HIV positive etc. The PrEP therapeutic treatment is in form of medication and it works by lowering the chances of contracting the virus for people on the medication. A combination of two HIV medicines (tenofovir and emtricitabine), sold under the name Truvada® (pronounced tru vá duh), is approved for daily use as PrEP to help prevent HIV-negative persons from contracting HIV from an HIV positive person either through sexual intercourse or other means which could expose one took the virus. Studies have shown that PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV as long as it is used as prescribed. However, the therapy is a lot less effective when it is not taken accordingly, based on the doctor's prescription.

Who should take PrEP?

PrEP is for HIV-negative persons who are at high risk of contracting the virus from sex or injection drug use. The federal guidelines recommend that PrEP be considered for people who are HIV-negative and in an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner. This recommendation also applies to anyone who isn’t in a mutually monogamous* relationship with a partner who recently tested HIV-negative. Gay or bisexual persons who have had anal sex without the use of condoms or have been diagnosed with an STD in the past 6 months are also advised to use Prep. Also eligible for the preventive therapy are heterosexual men or women who do not regularly use condoms during sexual intercourse with partners of unknown HIV status who are at substantial risk of HIV infection.

Additionally, PrEP is also recommended for people who have injected drugs, shared needles or works or been in drug treatment within the past 6 months. For women, if you have a partner who is HIV-positive and you are considering getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about PrEP if you’re not already taking it. PrEP may be an option to help protect you and your baby from getting HIV infection while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. PrEP involves daily medication and regular visits to a health care provider, thus, it may not be convenient for everyone.

* Mutually monogamous means that you and your partner only have sex with each other and do not have sex outside the relationship.

Is it safe?

It is pertinent to note that PrEP may causes side effects including nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, headache, dizziness, depression and insomnia among a plethora of other side effects. However, these side effects do not affect everyone and they generally subside over time. No serious side effects have been observed and they aren’t life threatening. If you are on PrEP, talk to your health care provider about any severe and persistent side effects. In people who are HIV-negative and have taken PrEP for up to 5 years, no significant long-term health effects have been seen.

How long do you need to take Prep?

You must take PrEP daily for it to work. Nevertheless, there are several factors that may necessitate the discontinuation of the medication. If your risk of getting HIV infection becomes low due lifestyle changes, you may want to stop taking PrEP. If you find that you don’t want to take a pill every day or you often forget to take your pills, other ways of protecting yourself from HIV infection may work better for you.If you have side effects from the medicine that are interfering with your day to day life, or if blood tests show that your body is reacting to PrEP in unsafe ways, your healthcare provider may stop prescribing PrEP for you. Regardless, always discuss options with your healthcare provider before you make a decision.

Can you start PrEP after you have been Exposed to HIV?

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is only for people who are at ongoing very high risk of HIV infection. But PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is an option for someone who thinks they’ve recently been exposed to HIV during sex or through sharing needles and works to prepare drugs.

PEP means taking antiretroviral medicines after a potential exposure to HIV to prevent becoming infected. PEP must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. If you’re prescribed PEP, you’ll need to take it once or twice daily for 28 days. 

I hope this piece of information is helpful. Finally, always seek for help and advice from a trusted and credible healthcare provider to help you make the best decisions.

Lalasticlala
Mynd44