HIV Prevention: PrEP and PEP

What are PrEP and PEP?

PrEP and PEP are medicines to prevent HIV. Each type is used in a different situation:

✅ PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It is for people who don't already have HIV but are at risk of getting it. PrEP is medicine that can reduce this risk. It can either be a pill that you take every day or an injection that you get every two months. With PrEP, if you do get exposed to HIV, the medicine can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body.

✅ PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis. PEP is for people who have possibly been exposed to HIV. It is only for emergency situations. PEP must be started within 72 hours after a possible exposure to HIV.