Recent trials have also explored if oral PrEP might work if taken less regularly, particularly before and soon after sex. This way of taking PrEP might be more popular for people who know in advance when they are going to have sex. Click here for more information on daily and non-daily use of PrEP.
If a person taking PrEP is exposed to HIV, the PrEP drugs they have taken prevents HIV from entering their cells and from replicating. This stops HIV from establishing itself and stops the person taking PrEP from becoming infected with HIV.
The short answer is yes. Studies across the world have shown that daily oral PrEP is highly effective. The iPREX trial showed that it was most effective when taken every day. Aidsmap’s briefing paper provides an excellent overview of PrEP research.
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.
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.