HIV PREVENTION

Menu open

Who should take PrEP?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is prescription medication used by HIV-negative individuals to reduce their chances of acquiring HIV. When taken properly, PrEP is 99% effective at preventing HIV through sex.1,2

There are multiple ways to take PrEP, these include daily oral PrEP, on-demand PrEP, and long-acting injectable PrEP.1

Who can take PrEP?

PrEP is available to anyone who is HIV-negative and wants to protect themselves from HIV.1,3 You may benefit from taking PrEP if any of the following apply to you:2–4

  • You do not regularly use condoms during sex.
  • You have sexual partners living with HIV.
  • You do not know the HIV status of your sexual partners.
  • You share injection drug needles or other equipment.
  • You exchange sex for money, drugs, or other reasons.
  • You have been prescribed post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) multiple times.
  • You are a man who has unprotected sex with men.
  •  You are a transgender or non-binary person who has unprotected sex.

Essentially, PrEP will be provided if you believe you are at increased likelihood of acquiring HIV and you request PrEP.1

Certain types of PrEP may be more suitable for you depending on your lifestyle and sexual practices:1,5–8

  1. Daily oral PrEP: This type of PrEP is for people who have anal and vaginal/frontal sex as well as for people who inject drugs. It is especially suitable for those who have sex frequently, prefer a consistent daily regimen over on-demand PrEP, or are living with hepatitis B.5–7
  2. On-demand PrEP: On-demand PrEP is for people who have anal sex and is not recommended for vaginal/frontal sex. It may be more appropriate for those who have sex less frequently, can plan sex in advance, and prefer not to take pills every day. However, on-demand PrEP is not recommended for individuals living with Hepatitis B.5–7
  3. Long-acting injectable PrEP: This type of PrEP is for people who have anal and vaginal/frontal sex. It is particularly appropriate for those who may not want to take a daily pill, including those who have difficulty adhering to a daily oral PrEP regimen, prefer a more discreet method of PrEP due to HIV stigma, or have kidney issues and so cannot take oral PrEP.1,8,9

If you are considering PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to determine whether it's safe and appropriate for you. Be sure to discuss any history of allergic reactions to PrEP medications and disclose any other medications you’re currently taking, including recreational drugs; different drugs can react to each other and affect how the drugs work and/or cause side effects. You should also mention any liver or kidney conditions, hepatitis status, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding.10 

It is important to have an open and honest conversation with your healthcare provider when considering PrEP so that they can help you to find the most suitable HIV prevention option for your needs. 

Who may not be able to take PrEP

People living with HIV cannot take PrEP.10 This is because using PrEP while living with HIV can lead to drug resistance.1,11

Drug resistance happens when the structure of the HIV virus changes (mutates) making certain HIV medications ineffective against that particular type (strain) of HIV.11,12 This can limit available treatment options and make HIV more difficult to treat.1,12

Although PrEP is strong enough to prevent HIV, it is not strong enough to treat it. If someone unknowingly has HIV and starts taking PrEP, the virus can continue to multiply in the body, increasing the likelihood of drug resistance. For this reason, a confirmed negative HIV test is required before PrEP can be prescribed.1,12

Additionally, PrEP may not be necessary for individuals in sexually exclusive relationships with partners who are living with HIV, provided those partners are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and have an undetectable viral load.10

An undetectable viral load means the amount of HIV in the blood is so low that it cannot be detected by standard tests.10 When this is achieved and maintained, HIV cannot be transmitted through sex. This is the concept known as undetectable = untransmittable (U=U).13

How to get PrEP

In most countries PrEP is available at HIV clinics and sexual health clinics free of charge. You should be able to book a consultation at a clinic near you to ask questions, learn more about PrEP, and determine whether it’s the right choice for you.14

It’s important to note that PrEP does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To stay protected, you should continue using additional prevention methods, such as condoms, whenever possible.2

AbbrevIatIons

ART, antiretroviral therapy; PEP, post-exposure prophylaxis; PrEP, pre-exposure prophylaxis; STI, sexually transmitted infection.

References:

  1. Statpearls. Sundareshan V, Mangat R, Koirala J. Preexposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507789/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  2. NIH. Pre-Exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Available from: https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep [Accessed: May 2025]
  3. NHS. About Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/about-pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  4. NHS. Causes - HIV and AIDS. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/causes/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  5. NHS. How and when to take Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/how-and-when-to-take-pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  6. Rainbow Project. PrEP: Everything you’d need to know. Available from: https://www.rainbow-project.org/prep/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  7. sexualwellbeing.ie. How to take PrEP. Available from: https://www.sexualwellbeing.ie/sexual-health/prep/how-to-take-prep/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  8. PrEP Guidelines. Injectable PrEP - PrEP Guidelines. Available from: https://prepguidelines.com.au/goals-of-prep/injectable-prep/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  9. Golub SA. PrEP Stigma: Implicit and Explicit Drivers of Disparity. Current HIV/AIDS Reports. 2018;15(2):190-197. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-018-0385-0
  10. NHS. Who can and cannot take Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/who-can-and-cannot-take-pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  11. WHO. HIV drug resistance. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-drug-resistance [Accessed: May 2025]
  12. AIDSMAP. PrEP and drug resistance. Available from: https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/prep-and-drug-resistance [Accessed: May 2025]
  13. NHS. Prevention - HIV and AIDS. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/prevention/ [Accessed: May 2025]
  14. AIDSMAP. How to get PrEP in the UK. https://www.aidsmap.com/about-hiv/how-get-prep-uk [Accessed: May 2025]

NP-GBL-HVX-COCO-250008 | June 2025

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the package leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the GSK Reporting Tool link https://gsk.public.reportum.com/. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

If you are from outside the UK, you can report adverse events to GSK/ ViiV by selecting your region and market, here.