Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

HIV infects the body by replicating (making copies of itself). The anti-HIV drugs in PrEP stop the virus replicating in your body. If you are exposed to HIV, for example during sex without a condom, but have been using PrEP correctly, there will be enough of the anti-HIV drug in your body to prevent HIV. 

Used correctly, PrEP is very effective. Taking PrEP pills every day or getting PrEP injections every other month will reduce your risk of getting HIV to almost zero. The PrEP vaginal ring is less effective. The current evidence suggests it reduces the risk of HIV infection by between 35-50%. 

This will depend on your circumstances. PrEP will protect you from HIV, but it doesn’t give you any protection against other STIs. Using a condom is the best way to prevent other STIs such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia and hepatitis C. PrEP also doesn’t prevent pregnancy. Using a condom and PrEP together means you can relax and enjoy sex, knowing you are fully protected. 

PrEP is for anyone who is HIV-negative. It is recommended if you are at a higher risk of HIV. 

PrEP may be a good option for you if: 

• your partner has HIV and does not have an undetectable viral load 

• you have sex with more than one partner and you don't always use condoms  

• you’re having sex with a new partner and are not sure what their HIV status is  

• you have sex for money, or receive gifts for sex 

• you’ve shared injecting equipment or have been in a treatment programme for injecting drug use. 

PrEP can be used by anyone who is sexually active – men and women, both trans and cisgender, and non-binary people, and whether you are gay, bi or straight. 

Yes. PrEP can prevent HIV infection during both vaginal and anal sex. But there are different recommendations on how to take it depending on your gender and the kind of sex you have. 

See the ‘In detail’ tab for more information.

No. PrEP is normally taken during times when you are at increased risk of HIV. Examples of when you might take it are: 

• during a specific relationship 
• after the break-up of a relationship while dating new people 
• when planning on being away from home, when you know you will be sexually active with new people  
• if you are injecting drugs and sharing needles 
• when trying to get pregnant with a partner and one of you has HIV.

While you’re taking PrEP, you should visit your healthcare provider for regular check-ups (at least every three months). 

Many people feel no side effects from PrEP. Others might get mild symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue and dizziness, but these usually disappear within a week or two.  

In rare cases, PrEP can also affect kidney functions. This is why it's important to have regular health check-ups if you’re on PrEP so that healthcare providers can monitor your health.  

Talk to your healthcare provider if you get side effects while taking PrEP.  

PrEP isn’t available everywhere but it is being rolled-out in more and more countries. Ask your healthcare provider if it’s available where you are, and if so what types are available (PrEP pills, injections or vaginal rings). 

The cost of PrEP will be different depending on where you live and what form it is in – in some countries it may be free, in others there may be a cost. 

If you’re interested in PrEP, ask your healthcare provider if it’s available where you are, and what type of PrEP you can get.  

Using PrEP if you have HIV is bad for your health. So it is important to know your HIV status before you start taking PrEP and to keep checking it through regular testing while you are on it. If you’ve not been using PrEP properly and you test positive for HIV, you need to stop PrEP straight away. 

This is because PrEP puts a low dose of antiretroviral treatment (ART) into your body. If you do not have HIV, this amount of ART will be enough to stop you from getting HIV. But if you have HIV, this small amount of ART will not be enough to stop HIV from replicating in your body. This means your HIV could get worse and you might develop drug resistance. This is when ART stops working. And this is why using PrEP if you have HIV is bad for your health.

Yes! PrEP does not stop you from getting pregnant, and it is safe to take during conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding. PrEP is one of the ways that couples with different HIV statuses can try for a baby safely. 

  

If you want to have a baby, but think you're at high risk of getting HIV, then PrEP could be a good option for you. If you get HIV when you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it will put your baby more at risk of getting HIV. This is because your viral load is especially high in the first few weeks after getting HIV. Taking PrEP protects both you and your baby, so you can stay HIV-negative throughout conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding.