PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a type of HIV prevention method. It is a medicine you take every day that helps you stay HIV negative.
PrEP is an antiretroviral (ARV) pill that has been used for many years as a treatment for HIV. Scientific studies found that it is also effective in preventing HIV. People who do not have HIV take it every day to considerably reduce their chances of getting HIV.
PrEP combines two different ARV drugs in one pill. The two drugs are called TDF and FTC (both are required for PrEP to be effective). PrEP is sometimes called Truvada as Truvada is a brand name for TDF-FTC. Generic versions of TDF-FTC are also available. These are exactly the same drugs, just made by different companies.
This PrEP information was adapted from a factsheet developed by the ATHENA Initiative, as part of the LEARN project, and is reproduced with permission. LEARN is a two-year project funded by PEPFAR through the DREAMS Innovation Challenge, managed by JSI Research & Training Institute, and led by the ATHENA Initiative and their community partners PIPE and ICWEA.
