What is gay prep
Pre-exposure Prophylaxis—PrEP
When you reflect of HIV prevention, condoms are probably the first thing that comes to mind (which is great, because they should! Condoms are a proven tactic to reduce your risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections during intercourse.) But there is another option for those who may be at higher risk for HIV—PrEP.
PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. The word prophylaxis means to prevent or control the spread of an infection or disease. The goal of PrEP is to stop HIV infection from taking hold if you are exposed to the virus.
PrEP involves taking medication to prevent HIV infection. Oral PrEP involves taking a pill once daily to prevent HIV infection in someone who is HIV-negative. Currently there are two pills approved for PrEP:
- Truvada (for anyone at-risk for HIV) and
- Descovy (for those at chance except for people assigned female gender at birth who may be at risk for HIV from vaginal sex).
When taken consistently, every day, oral PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection in people who are at high risk by about 99%.
There are also options for PrEP given by injection. One option—Apretude—is given every two
About Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is used to reduce the risk of getting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
PrEP works by stopping HIV from getting into your body and making copies of itself (replicating). You'll only be protected from HIV infection if there are tall enough levels of PrEP in your body, so it's significant to take it correctly.
PrEP can be used by anyone from a community or group that is most at risk of HIV, or people who contain sex with people from those networks.
You may benefit from taking PrEP if:
- you're an HIV-negative male having condomless sex with men, and other people who own sex within these networks
- you own a partner (or ex-partner) with HIV
- your partner (or ex-partner) comes from a country with lofty rates of HIV
- you have condomless sex with a partner(s) and do not know their HIV status
- you're a trans or genderfluid person and are regularly having condomless sex
- you exchange sex for money, drugs, shelter or another reason
- you are injecting drugs
Find out more about who is at risk of getting HIV.
Find out more about other at-risk activities.
PrEP comes as tablets that comprise 2 medicine
Source
Nearly 70% of people living with HIV are lgbtq+ and bisexual men – and thankfully the utilize of PrEP for HIV prevention is increasing among this group. According to a recent study, the number of gay and bisexual males taking PrEP increased by 500% from 2014 to 2017. However, only 35% of queer and bisexual males who were at high-risk of HIV transmission were taking the medication.
It is key that everyone takes the proper precautions to guard themselves from HIV transmission. While some people are at more risk than others due to lifestyle choices or other practices, there is a usual misconception that your chance of HIV transmission is higher or lower depending on your sexual orientation or preferred sexual position.
PrEP is designed to support protect any person – regardless of sexual orientation – from HIV transmission. But, you may be wondering if PrEP could affect you differently or be more or less effective depending on if you are a uppermost, bottom, or vers.
For instance, many tops assume they do not need to take PrEP since they are at a reduce risk of contracting HIV than a bottom – since they are not penetrated.
So, does PrEP labor differently
What is PrEP and Is It for Me?
In the last four decades, HIV and AIDS possess taken a significant toll, especially on the LGBT society. The good news is that the medical community has made incredible strides in treating AIDS through antiretroviral medications, making it a manageable illness for many patients. However, there’s still no cure for AIDS. Preventing the spread of HIV remains a priority in the medical group. Consistent and repair condom use is one of the best ways to prevent HIV transmission during sex. But for some patients, high-risk sexual action and intravenous drug use remain a reality. One of the most notable developments in the last decade is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP. PrEP is a drug regimen that can facilitate to prevent transmission in HIV-negative people at high uncertainty for the virus.
What Is PrEP?
PrEP medications use two drugs: tenofovir and emtricitabine. The combination works to block an enzyme that HIV uses to create. Providers have prescribed the drug Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis for nearly a decade. For more than 15 years, Truvada has been part of a drug regimen to suppress HIV in people who already have the virus. In 2012, the FDA a