About PrEP

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.
There are two medications approved for use as PrEP: Truvada® and Descovy®.
- Truvada®external icon is for all people at risk through sex or injection drug use.
- Descovy®external icon is for people at risk through sex, except for people assigned female at birth who are at risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex.
- 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 the Truvada®external icon and Descovy®external icon.
Page last reviewed: April 7, 2021