Learn what makes this HIV prevention medicine such a game-changer. 

An introduction to the game-changing HIV prevention medicine by Jake Hall for POV by Lustery

A Quick Guide to PrEP | POV by Lustery

Your Quick & Dirty Guide to PrEP

As recently as a decade ago, it seemed impossible to believe that one daily pill could effectively 

. Now, there are actually options when it comes to HIV prevention, and a handful of these fall under the umbrella term of PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis.

HIV used to be seen as a death sentence. The 1980s and 1990s were dominated by news of the AIDS crisis all over the world, and in many countries, it was first considered a

 and then a public health epidemic more broadly. Fear and stigma was everywhere. 

, being treated as dirty secrets by their families. Meanwhile, marginalised activists were 

draping politicians’ houses in giant condoms

 outside government buildings to motivate authorities to invest in AIDS research.

PrEP is part of the legacy of their hard work, but the fight to secure it and make it widely available has been long, arduous and fraught with misinformation.

With that in mind, it’s worth going over the basics.

"It’s also important to remember that PrEP doesn’t guard against other sexually-transmitted infections — it’s effective for preventing HIV, but HIV only."

PrEP is a medicine which prevents against HIV transmission; depending on which form you’re taking, it can protect against new cases through unprotected sex 

injection drug use. After years of battling, it’s now usually available at local 

 clinics –– and crucially, PrEP is beneficial to 

including cis women, trans communities and straight people more broadly.

PrEP stops HIV from getting into your body and replicating.

There has to be enough PrEP in your body for this to work effectively

, so taking one pill one time won’t be enough to lower your risk. It’s also important to remember that PrEP doesn’t guard against other sexually-transmitted infections –– it’s effective for preventing HIV, but HIV only.

When it comes to HIV transmission, yes ––

according to the CDC (Centres for Disease Control)

, PrEP “reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed.”

This is where things get tricky. Health journal 

 of PrEP, which showed that “PrEP effectiveness was 60% overall, reaching 93% for a high amount of PrEP consumption, and 86% if excluding periods after PrEP discontinuation.” The study found that younger participants with less spare cash were more likely to stop taking PrEP, meaning there are big disparities in terms of who can access PrEP.

So yes, PrEP is more effective than a condom if you can get it –– but again, it 

prevent sexually-transmitted infections more broadly, so it's still worth using a condom if you’re unsure of your sexual health status.

"There's still progress to be made... but HIV is truly no longer a death sentence." 

The alternative to taking PrEP long-term is 

 –– taking it only when you’re having sex. This is known as the 

: you take two pills 2-24 hours before sex, a single pill 24 hours after the first two, and another pill 24 hours after that.

There are still more studies to be done –– especially as new forms of PrEP are rolled out –– but event-based PrEp 

 been proven as effective. It’s also possible to switch to the 2-1-1 method after being on PrEP daily, but again, always consult sexual health experts while doing so.

. According to the UK’s NHS, “more than 1 in 100 people” may experience side effects including nausea, diarrhoea, bloating and indigestion, headaches, mild dizziness and insomnia. Even if you do happen to be one of the few that experience these, they usually go away after a few weeks at most.

Long-term side effects are even more rare. PrEP can impact your kidney and liver health –– especially if you have existing issues –– but medical professionals will usually monitor treatment, and you’ll be advised of potential symptoms to keep an eye out for. There is a risk of bone mass density loss too, but stopping PrEP will alleviate this over time.

PrEP isn’t the only option to prevent HIV transmission. Sexual health clinics will usually offer PEP –– 

 –– which can be taken if you’re worried about a recent encounter, like a condom breaking. It’s effective up to 72 hours later, but ideally, it should be taken within 24.