Deciding to Take PrEP
PrEP can help protect you if you don’t have HIV and any of the following apply to you:
You have had anal or vaginal sex in the past 6 months and you
- have a sexual partner with HIV (especially if the partner has an unknown or detectable viral load),
- have not consistently used a condom, or
- have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the past 6 months.
You inject drugs and you
- have an injection partner with HIV, or
- share needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment (for example, cookers).
You have been prescribed PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and you
- report continued risk behavior, or
- have used multiple courses of PEP.
You may choose to take PrEP, even if the behaviors listed above don’t apply to you. Talk to your health care provider.
If you have a partner with HIV and are considering getting pregnant, talk to your health care provider about PrEP if you’re not already taking it. PrEP may be an option to help protect you and your baby from getting HIV while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.
Yes. PrEP pills are approved for use by adolescents without HIV who weigh at least 77 pounds (35 kg) and at risk for getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. PrEP shots are approved for adolescents at risk for getting HIV from sex.
