PrEP--Expanding the HIV Prevention Toolkit

By Laura Perkins, MLS | December 4, 2015

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for HIV means taking a combination pill to prevent transmission of the virus. The pill, brand name Truvada, has proved to be successful at protecting at-risk individuals. Trials evaluating PrEP among gay and bisexual men, heterosexual men and women, and injection drug users indicate that the risk of getting HIV decreased by up to 92% for participants who took the medicine consistently.

 

This is phenomenal! This is an incredibly exciting development in HIV prevention. The FDA approved using Truvada as PrEP in July 2012. And in May 2014, the U.S. Public Health Service released the first comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for PrEP. And now there's work to be done!

Spotlight on PrEP

HIV prevention educators and advocates are working hard to bring more resources to people seeking information and access to PrEP. They're working hard to inform providers unfamiliar with the treatment about the clinical guidelines. Positively Aware published a special issue devoted to PrEP in the summer of 2015, filled with essential information and engaging profiles of activists and people on PrEP.

ETR is excited to join this mission. We've developed "Is PrEP for You?"—a new pamphlet that presents clear and accessible information about PrEP for a general audience. People want to know if PrEP is a good option for them. People at risk for HIV want to know what it means to be on PrEP. They want to know how to ask a provider for PrEP and how to pay for treatment. "Is PrEP for You?" answers these and other essential questions.

Laura Perkins, MLS, is Project Editor at ETR.