When you hear pre-exposure prophylaxis, a daily medication taken by people at risk of HIV to prevent infection before exposure. Also known as PrEP, it's not a vaccine—but it works like one by keeping the virus from taking hold in your body if you’re exposed. This isn’t theory. It’s real. People who take PrEP as prescribed reduce their risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 99% and from injection drug use by over 70%. The science is solid. The results are proven.
PrEP isn’t one-size-fits-all. Two main drugs are used: tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/emtricitabine (Truvada and generics), and tenofovir alafenamide/emtricitabine (Descovy). They’re both antiretroviral drugs, the same class used to treat HIV—but here, they’re used to stop it before it starts. The difference? Descovy is often preferred for people assigned male at birth who have sex with men, while Truvada works for all genders and transmission routes, including vaginal exposure. Neither works if you skip doses. Consistency is everything.
Who takes PrEP? Not just gay or bisexual men. It’s for anyone at ongoing risk: people with HIV-positive partners, those who don’t always use condoms, people who share needles, or anyone who’s had a sexually transmitted infection in the past six months. It’s also for transgender women and men on hormone therapy—studies show it works just as well. You don’t need to be high-risk to qualify. You just need to be at risk. And if you’re unsure, talking to a doctor about your sexual or drug-use habits is the first step.
PrEP doesn’t protect against other STIs like syphilis or gonorrhea. That’s why regular testing every 3 months is part of the routine. You’ll also get kidney and liver checks—because even safe drugs need monitoring. Most people feel fine on it. Some get mild nausea or headaches at first, but those usually fade. Long-term use has been tracked for over a decade, and serious side effects are rare.
There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Some think PrEP encourages risky behavior. But data shows people on PrEP often become more aware of their health—they get tested more, talk more openly with partners, and use condoms more often. It doesn’t change who you are. It just gives you more control.
What you’ll find below are real, practical guides on how PrEP fits into daily life. From how to take it without forgetting, to how it interacts with other meds like antibiotics or birth control, to what to do if you miss a dose. You’ll see how people manage side effects, how to talk to doctors about getting it, and how to find affordable options—even without insurance. These aren’t abstract articles. They’re from people who’ve been there.
