About PrEP

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine that reduces your chances of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV.

PrEP can be pills or shots.

There are two pills approved for use as PrEP: Truvada® and Descovy®.

• Truvada® is for people at risk through sex or injection drug use. 
• Descovy® is for people at risk through sex. Descovy is not for people assigned female at birth who are at risk for HIV through receptive vaginal sex.

Apretude is the only shot approved for use as PrEP. Apretude is for people at risk through sex who weigh at least 77 pounds (35 kg).

Talk to your health care provider about switching from PrEP pills to shots. PrEP shots may be right for you if you do not have HIV and have no known allergy to the medicines in the shot.

If you decide to switch from PrEP pills to shots, you’ll need to visit your health care provider regularly to receive your shot. You’ll also need to be tested for HIV prior to each PrEP shot.

• PrEP is safe, but some people experience side effects like diarrhea, nausea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain. These side effects usually go away over time.
• Tell your health care provider about any side effects that are severe or do not go away.
• Learn more about side effects from Truvada®, Descovy®, and Apretude.