Did You Know?

 

What is PrEP?
PrEP is medicine that helps protect people from getting HIV. There are three kinds approved by the FDA:

  • Truvada – A pill you take every day. It’s for teens and adults who are at risk of getting HIV through sex or sharing needles.

  • Descovy – Another pill taken every day. It’s also for teens and adults at risk through sex or sharing needles. But it’s not for people assigned female at birth who are at risk through vaginal sex, because it hasn’t been tested for them.

  • Apretude – A shot you get every two months instead of a daily pill. It’s for teens and adults at risk through sex or sharing needles.

How well does it work?
When taken the right way, PrEP works very well.

  • It can lower the chance of getting HIV from sex by 99%.

  • It lowers the risk from sharing needles by 84%.
    But it doesn’t work as well if you miss doses or don’t take it as scheduled.

Important to know:
PrEP does not protect you from other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like chlamydia or gonorrhea. So it’s still a good idea to use condoms too.
You can use PrEP with birth control or hormone therapy.

What do I need to do if I take PrEP?

  • Take the pill every day or get the shot every two months.

  • See your doctor every 2–3 months. They’ll check for side effects and test you for HIV and other STIs.

Where can I get PrEP?
If you live in Philadelphia, you can get PrEP at little or no cost—even if you don’t have insurance. Where to get pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Philadelphia.

For more information on PrEP, click HERE.