PrEP is a pill that protects you from HIV. It is a course of tablets that you take before and after sex.
Anyone who:
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.
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:
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:
Daily PrEP is the option that has been tested most in trials.
How you take PrEP is your choice.