PrEP and PEP

PrEP is made up of two drugs, Tenofovir and Emtricitabine, which are known as antiretroviral medicines and have been used as part of HIV treatment for many years. You may know them by the brand name, Truvada. However, there are generic forms of the drug with the same active ingredients.

You could benefit from PrEP if you are considered to be at high risk of HIV. PrEP can be used as a way to reduce your risk of HIV if you are HIV negative and don’t always use condoms.

PrEP is not a vaccine and only provides protection from HIV so long as you continue to take it as prescribed. It is important to remember that PrEP will not protect you from acquiring other STIs. This is an important advantage of using condoms.

It might be a good idea to take PrEP if:

• You're HIV-negative, at high risk of HIV and you don't always use condoms
• You've recently had an STI (especially rectal infection orsyphilis)
• You're using recreational drugs used for chemsex (crystal meth, mephedrone and GHB)
• Your partner is HIV-positive and isn’t taking their HIV treatment regularly
• You've recently had to take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis)

PrEP is safe to use if you're pregnant, breastfeeding/chestfeeding or if you're using hormonal contraception.

PrEP is available for free on the NHS from sexual health clinics, including Brook Southend-on-Sea, to everyone regardless of immigration status.

It is possible to buy PrEP online but it is not recommended. There are risks associated with buying medication online and there are specific health risks associated with taking PrEP medication.

However, if you are considering purchasing your own PrEP medication online you should buy it from a reliable source and you should seek advice and support from an NHS sexual health clinic to assess whether the medication is right for you, and to ensure that essential tests are carried out before and during treatment.