PrEP can be prescribed only by a healthcare provider, so talk to yours to find out if PrEP is the right HIV prevention strategy for you. You must take PrEP daily for it to work. Also, you must take an HIV test before beginning PrEP to be sure you don’t already have HIV and every 3 months while you’re taking it, so you’ll have to visit your health care provider for regular follow-ups.

PrEP can cause side effects like nausea in some people, but these generally subside over time. No serious side effects have been observed, and these side effects aren’t life threatening. If you are taking PrEP, tell your healthcare provider about any side effects that are severe or do not go away.

No. PrEP does not work the same way as a vaccine. A vaccine teaches your body to fight off infection for several years. However, PrEP does come as an injectable as well. Whether it is in pill or injection form, the presence of the medicine in your bloodstream can often stop HIV from taking hold and spreading in your body. By taking the pill on a daily basis or adhering to the injectable dosing, it increases your chances of not contracting the HIV virus.

No, you should not stop using condoms because you are taking PrEP. PrEP doesn’t give you any protection against other STDs, like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Also, while PrEP can significantly reduce your risk of HIV infection if taken daily, you can combine additional strategies like condom use with PrEP to reduce your risk even further.

When taken every day, PrEP is safe and highly effective in preventing HIV infection. PrEP reaches maximum protection from HIV for receptive anal sex at about 7 days of daily use. For receptive vaginal sex and injection drug use, PrEP reaches maximum protection at about 20 days of daily use. No data are yet available about how long it takes to reach maximum protection for insertive anal or insertive vaginal sex.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is only for people who are at risk for HIV infection. But PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is an option for someone who thinks they’ve recently been exposed to HIV during sex or through sharing needles and works to prepare drugs.

PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) means taking antiretroviral medicines after a potential exposure to HIV to prevent becoming infected. PEP must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. If you’re prescribed PEP, you’ll need to take it once or twice daily for 28 days. Ask your healthcare provider for more info on PEP.

PrEP is covered by most insurance programs and Medicaid. The level of your coverage will vary by the type of health insurance plan you have. There are also assistance programs that can help you pay for PrEP, regardless of your citizenship status.

Your health care provider and their staff are important resources for helping you navigate your insurance coverage and assistance programs, and they will act as your advocate.