PrEP for HIV Prevention

Reduce your risk of acquiring HIV by 99% when taken as directed. Daily pill or injectable options offered.

PrEP for HIV Prevention

PrEP for HIV Prevention is offered at all of our clinical locations in Chester, Sharon Hill, and Reading. Appointments are available. To make an appointment, please complete our appointment request form or call your nearest medical office.

PrEP for HIV Prevention is offered regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. We will work with you to provide the care and treatment you need.

What is PrEP?

PrEP stands for: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. PrEP helps you take control of your health and connects you with health providers to help keep you on track. PrEP is an HIV prevention option that works by taking one pill every day. When taken every day, PrEP can provide a high level of protection against HIV, and is even more effective when it is combined with condoms and other protective tools.

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PrEP could be right for you if:

- You don’t always use condoms (external or internal) when you have anal or vaginal intercourse. “Always” means all of the time, not sometimes.
- You don’t always ask your partner(s) to wear a condom.
- You have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the last six months.
- You’re unsure of the HIV status of your sexual partners.
- You’re in a relationship with an HIV-positive partner who may or may not be on HIV treatment
- You are a person who injects drugs, or you’re in a relationship with an injection drug user.
- At ACG Health there is no wait for PrEP and there is a team ready and available to help with any questions and concerns you may have.

How can I start PrEP?

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.

Is PrEP safe?

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.

Is PrEP a Vaccine?

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.

If I take PrEP, can I stop using condoms when I have sex?

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.

How long do I have to take PrEP before it is effective?

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.

Can you start PrEP after you have been exposed to HIV?

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.

How will I pay for PrEP?

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.

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