Porn4PrEP Using porn to instigate debate surrounding Sexual Health.

Please note, we do our best to keep things updated, however do talk with a medical professional about any concerns you have.

Most people who take PrEP don’t experience side effects. When people do get them they tend to go away on their own within a few weeks. Side effects can include stomach problems, headaches or tiredness. In the PROUD study participants reported few side effects, and almost everyone who stopped PrEP because of side effects were able to start PrEP again. Alternative medications to PrEP such as Emtricitabine Tenofovir Alafenamide (Descovy) has been developed for those showing a low tolerance of classic PrEP.

PrEP is different from PEP. PEP is taken for up to 28 days after someone has had sex if they think they’ve been exposed to HIV. The main difference between PEP (post– exposure prophylaxis) and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is that PEP is taken after sex, if someone thinks they’ve been exposed to HIV, and PrEP is taken on an ongoing basis before sex. More information about PEP is available here.

PrEP is now free on the NHS throughout the United Kingdom. Speak to your sexual health clinic or GP to get started. For Scotland you can find out more here. For Wales a great place to start is through the PrEPARED project. PrEP was approved in the UK following the PROUD trial and the IMPACT administrative trial with many other successful trials across the world.

Some people buy PrEP through private prescriptions – though these can be expensive. Others buy PrEP online from overseas and even use forwarding addresses with companies like Bordelinex in countries where PrEP access is easier to deliver to. If you’re considering starting PrEP independantly, it’s important to be aware of some key information.

PrEP concentrates in different parts of the body at different rates. PrEP accumulates faster in the penis and anus than it does in a vagina. The result is a daily PrEP routine works for all genders, however cisgender men can choose more on-demand routines if prefered. For Trans people and Intersex people the daily PrEP routine is suggested, although it is more conservative advice, the impact of hormones versus body tissue on PrEP accumulation is still being studied for these communities. For more explore Women and PrEP.

If you are considering starting PrEP, it is highly recommended that you discuss this with a doctor at a sexual health clinic. Medical staff will be able to help you decide if PrEP is right for you, and will be able to offer important tests before starting PrEP – such as Hep B & kidney function tests. Importantly, they will provide you with the right kind of HIV test – PrEP should only be started if you know you are HIV negative for sure.

In March 2016 NHS England released a statement on provision of PrEP in England that said that Local Authorities and not NHS England are responsible for funding PrEP. This was despite NHS England starting a formal process to decide if NHS should fund PrEP. In August and November 2016, NHS England was taken to court by National Aids Trust. The judges ruled that NHS England could lawfully commission PrEP. The hard work of HIV activists and the Sex Worker community is the reason we have PrEP on the NHS today. The process uncovered and addressed prejudiced attitudes affecting the NHS roll out of PrEP.

Information about accessing PrEP in approved countries, along with which countries have approved it, can be found here.

Information about campaigns for getting PrEP access approved in your country are listed here. Or start your own and add it to the list so your locals know how to get involved.

A toolkit for starting up your own PrEP access campaign in your country can be found here (created by the ITPC).

Other ways to take action in the UK can be found on the Prepster Take action page.