STAYING
HIV NEGATIVE WITH PrEP

If you take PrEP every day, your chances of getting HIV from sex drop by more than 90%. If you inject drugs, your risk for HIV drops by more than 70%. Add condoms and other HIV prevention methods if you want even more protection!

No. Vaccines are only given one or twice before your body learns to fight off the infection for years. Unfortunately, PrEP does not work that way. You must take it daily for full effectiveness, and if you stop, so does the protection.

Think of it like this: PrEP is like birth control, and PEP is like the morning after pill. Both can help prevent HIV, but they’re used very differently. PrEP is a daily pill that keeps you HIV negative when exposed to the virus. Meanwhile, PEP is used only as an emergency pill. If you’ve been exposed to HIV and you’re not on PrEP, taking PEP within 72 hours of exposure will help you stay HIV negative.

PrEP can help keep anyone HIV negative, regardless of age, sexual preference, or gender identity. However, there are groups of people who may especially benefit from the protection PrEP brings. This includes people who forget to use condoms, bareback, have HIV+ partners, aren’t sure of their partner’s status, have multiple partners, or inject drugs. If that applies to you, we encourage you to visit a doctor to see if you meet the medical requirements to get on PrEP. This includes an HIV negative status, a weight of at least 77 lbs., healthy kidneys, healthy bones, and a healthy liver.

PrEP is an excellent option for anybody who parties. Unlike using condoms, which require good judgment at the time of sex, you can take PrEP and get protected long before you’re in the heat of the moment. There are also no negative health interactions between PrEP, alcohol, weed and other party drugs. Please note though that PrEP’s effectiveness may decrease if you inject drugs, however, your risk for HIV is still reduced by over 70% in these situations—a significant level of protection that can make all the difference.

No sexual side effects have been reported from PrEP users. Many people even say they enjoy not having to worry about HIV during sex!

The most common side effects include headaches, stomach pain, and weight loss. However, the majority of people who take PrEP and experienced side effects say they only last for a couple of weeks. It’s rare but possible that you may experience kidney and bone issues, but once you’re on PrEP, your provider will regularly check these areas to catch anything before it becomes a problem.

The CDC reports that those who have taken PrEP for up to five years show no significant changes in their health. This may be in part to the regular checkups that come with taking PrEP. You may have heard Truvada, the medicine in PrEP and HIV treatment, is associated with kidney and bone problems in HIV+ people, but these side effects are not significant in HIV negative people with no previous history of these issues.

No need to worry—there’s no risk of PrEP interacting or lowering the effectiveness of your hormones. Research shows that feminizing hormones, in particular, are not affected. We always recommend working with your doctor though to coordinate your PrEP usage with your hormone therapy.

Most insurance plans now cover PrEP—even Medicaid! However, PrEP is still an option even for those who are not insured. We’ll work with you to find assistance programs that can help cover the cost.

Maybe. The FDA recommended approval for the use of Descovy on August 7, 2019 for use in cisgender men who have sex with men and transgender women. Studies for this drug did not include cisgender women or transgender men and for this reason, there is not enough evidence for it to be used in these populations.