What is PrEP?

• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is a FDA-approved medication that is used for (HIV-negative) people to reduce your chance of getting HIV.
• It can be taken by pill daily, or as an extended-release shot given every 2 months by a health care provider.
• PrEP is for all adults and adolescents who may be sexually active and/or exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use.

Why is PrEP Important?

• PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 99% when taken as prescribed.
• Women can use PrEP without their partners’ active involvement, knowledge, or consent.
• PrEP may be an option to help protect pregnant people and their babies from getting HIV while trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. Talk to your health care provider.

PrEP can help protect you if you DON’T have HIV and any of the following apply to you:

• People who have had anal vaginal/front-genital sex in the last 6 months
• People who have sexual partners living with HIV if the partner has an unknown or detectable viral load
• People who have been diagnosed with a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) such as gonorrhea or chlamydia in the last 6 months
• People who inject or slam substances/drugs
• People who have partners who inject substances who have HIV
• People who share needles, syringes, injection supplies, or other injection equipment
• People who have used multiple courses of PEP

Before beginning PrEP, you must take an HIV test to make sure you don’t have HIV.

You need to visit your health care provider again: Routinely as recommended for follow-up visits, HIV tests, and prescription refills or shots. If you have any side effects while taking PrEP that become severe or don’t go away.