Who PrEP Is For
Anyone can get HIV.
Your sex, age, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity do not independently factor into your risk.
PrEP is for those considered to be at ahighrisk of HIV.
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One may be recommended over the other depending on your risk behaviors and health profile.
If your doctor determines you are at high risk, Truvada or Descovy may be recommended.
This effectively cancelled out the drug’s protective benefit.
Three of those four people also had strains of HIV that were resistant to both drug agents.
(Most people are initially infected with wild-key in HIV, or HIV in its natural state.)
PrEP-resistant HIV is still considered rare.
For example, in 2018, University of Washington researchers did thousands of genetic sequence tests.
PrEP reaches maximum effectiveness after seven days for anal sex and 21 days for vaginal sex or injection-drug use.
Skipping doses or not using additional protective measures until you reach these points makes PrEP much less effective.
There are rare strains of HIV that are resistant to PrEP, though this is rare.
However, this is not proven and more research is needed.
The man took the medication as prescribed, which was confirmed through blood tests.
He reported over 90 sex partners and over 100 acts of condomless anal sex during the 12-week trial.
While on PrEP, the man was diagnosed twice with rectalgonorrheaand once with rectal chlamydia.
If so, these still-unidentified factors may place others at risk.
HIV drugs can reduce viral load, which is the amount of HIV in their blood.
A high viral load increases the likelihood of spreading HIV.
In addition, PrEP does not protect you against other types of sexually transmitted infections.
It is important that you continue to practice safer sex while taking PrEP.
If you miss doses, PrEP is much less effective.
There are two PrEP medications approved by the FDA, both of which are taken daily.
Truvada can be used to reduce risk from sex or drug use.
There are rare strains of HIV virus with mutations that make it resistant to PrEP.
There may be other factors that also lower effectiveness.
Additional protective measures, such as using condoms, can support PrEP and reduce risk of HIV.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing HIV with PrEP.
Buchbinder SP.Maximizing the benefits of HIV preexposure prophylaxis.Top Antivir Med.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How HIV spreads.
