PrEP: Pre-exposure prophylaxis

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medicine taken daily that can be used to prevent getting HIV. PrEP is for people without HIV who are at very high risk for getting it from sex or injection drug use.
 
People at high risk who should be offered PrEP include about 1 in 4 sexually active gay and bisexual men*, 1 in 5 people who inject drugs, and 1 in 200 sexually active heterosexual adults. When taken every day, PrEP is safe and highly effective in preventing HIV infection. PrEP is even more effective if it is combined with other ways to prevent new HIV infections like condom use, drug abuse treatment, and treatment for people living with HIV to reduce the chance of passing the virus to others. Many people who can benefit from PrEP aren't taking it. If more health care providers know about and prescribe PrEP, more HIV infections could be prevented.

• Daily PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90%.

• Daily PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV among people who inject drugs by more than 70%.

• 1 in 3 primary care doctors and nurses haven’t heard about PrEP.

  — From the CDC Vital Signs, published 11/24/15. 
       • Click Here to open the CDC Vital Signs web page about PrEP 
       • Click Here to download the PDF

New York State is leading the way to increase use of PrEP.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an evidence-based, biomedical intervention with proven efficacy to prevent HIV infection among individuals at highest risk for HIV. Based on the results of several large scale trials, and a growing body of experience in clinical practice, PrEP is a safe and critical resource in our HIV prevention toolbox.

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) AIDS Institute urges clinical providers and prevention programs to view PrEP as a first line intervention for: men who have sex with men and trans-women who engage in on-going, condom-less anal intercourse; HIV negative partners in a sero- discordant couple; and high risk heterosexual women in areas of elevated seroprevalence. A complete list of persons who may benefit from PrEP is included in the NYSDOH PrEP Guidance Document available at www.hivguidelines.org.
    — From NYSDOH PrEP Letter July 24 2014 by Dan O’Connell, Director, AIDS Institute

PrEP Resources (PDF except as noted)

• Acute HIV Infection Fact Sheet
• AIDSINFONET PrEP Fact Sheet
• CDC PrEP HIV Basics HIV/AIDS
• Gilead PAP Truvada for PrEP
• NYSDOH PrEP/PEP Voluntary Provider Directory
• NYSDOH PrEP Q & A (Jan. 2013)
• Patient Provider PrEP Checklist
• POZ PrEP Fact Sheet
• PrEP 2014 Access Guidelines UHS BPC
• PrEP Fact Sheet
• PrEP FAQ from Provider Supplement
• PrEP Overview Slides (PowerPoint file, 2MB)
• PrEP poster (JPG file, 820x1231 pixels)
• Truvada Information Sheets for Patients
• What Support Services Providers Should Know About PrEP (May 2014)