Who needs PrEP?

Anyone who:

  • Is HIV negative.
  • Has sex in a variety of situations where condoms are not easily or always used.
  • Wants to protect themselves from HIV.

If you are HIV negative and take PrEP properly, you will have almost 100% protection against HIV.

If you are HIV positive, PrEP is not suitable for you. You need antiretroviral treatment.

Free PrEP on the NHS

  • PrEP is provided for free as part of NHS specialist services in all level three sexual health clinics in England, Scotland and Wales.
  • In Northern Ireland all GUM clinics offer initial consultation and assessment appointments. Eligible individuals will be referred to a centralised service in Belfast or Derry/Londonderry.

Before starting PrEP

You must be HIV negative.

Ideally, you should visit a sexual health clinic and have a HIV test and a kidney function blood test on the day you start PrEP or just before. You might need to repeat these tests after taking PrEP for 6 weeks.

If you have used a home HIV self-test, you will still need to have an HIV test which is conducted in a lab.

You should also:

  • get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
  • get vaccinated to protect you from hepatitis A and B and HPV (if eligible).
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    How do I buy PrEP

    If you cannot access free or subsidised PrEP from a health service you can buy it privately.

    It’s still important to have your baseline blood tests for HIV and kidney function and to have regular HIV and STI monitoring every 3 months.

    There are different options available to you depending on where you are located. If ordering PrEP online from ‘overseas sellers’ remember:

  • Delivery times are usually given in working days, which do not included weekends. Add in Saturday and Sunday when you work out when your PrEP is due to arrive.
  • Try to place an order at least one month before you need it, to allow for unexpected delivery delays.
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    How do I take PrEP

    • Daily PrEP. You take 1 pill every day.
    • ‘On Demand’ PrEP, also called event based dosing (EBD). You take a set amount of PrEP pills before and after a planned sexual event.
    • 4 pills per week. You might hear this called ‘Ts and Ss’, which refers to Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
    • Holiday PrEP. You take a set amount of PrEP before and after a period when you expect to be sexually active.

    Daily PrEP is the option that has been tested most in trials.

    How you take PrEP is your choice.