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How to take PrEP
PrEP works of everyone.
How you take PrEP will differ depending on your gender and your body
On Demand PrEP for gay, bisexual and other queer cisgender men
Simple instructions for how to take PrEP if you are a cisgender man who has sex with other men.
STEP 1
Take two PrEP pills at once, at least 2 hours and no more than 24 hours before sex.
Note the time you took your PrEP. You’ll need this later.
STEP 2
You need to wait at least 2 hours before having sex so that the medication can start working.
STEP 3
Have sex, and have fun! You can have sex as many times with as many people as you like between now and finishing PrEP.
STEP 4
Take a single PrEP pill 24 hours after your double dose. Be sure to take this PrEP pill 24 hours after you started PrEP, not 24 hours after you had sex.
*It can help to put a reminder in your phone
STEP 5
Repeat step 4
Take another single PrEP pill 24 hours after your last dose.
Here’s one way that might go…
-
9pm Monday = 2 pill
11pm Monday = Sex -
9pm Tuesday = 1 pill
-
9pm Wednesday = 1 pill
STEP 6
Did you follow all the steps? You’re finished!
If you didn’t follow all the steps, keep reading...
We know sex doesn’t always go as planned. So what if I…
Kept going?
If you keep having sex after you’ve had your single PrEP pill, that’s great! You can extend On Demand PrEP to cover you longer. Just keep taking a single PrEP pill every day until you have two sex free days where you have taken PrEP.
Missed sex?
So, you took your double dose of PrEP and then didn’t have sex. No problem, there is no need to take the rest of the PrEP. Just restart from Step 1 next time.
Missed a dose?
How much PrEP you take, and when is super important when taking it On Demand. If you had sex but miss any part of these steps - talk to a doctor about starting PEP. If you do miss a dose, take your next pill as soon as you remember, and then seek out PEP.
Want to restart?
If you took a break from PrEP, you can start again any time by beginning at Step 1. Make sure to check in with your doctor to test, and for more pills.
Daily PrEP for gay, bisexual and other queer cisgender men
Simple instructions for how to take PrEP if you are a cisgender man who has sex with other men.
Ready to get PrEP? Go here
STEP 1
Take two PrEP pills at once, at least 2 hours and no more than 24 hours before sex.
Note the time you took your PrEP. You’ll need this later.
STEP 2
You need to wait at least 2 hours before having sex so that the medication can start working.
STEP 3
Have sex, and have fun! You can have sex as many times with as many people as you like between now and finishing PrEP.
STEP 4
Take a single PrEP pill 24 hours after your double dose. Be sure to take this PrEP pill 24 hours after you started PrEP, not 24 hours after you had sex.
*It can help to put a reminder in your phone
STEP 5
Take a single PrEP pill every day for as long as you are using PrEP. Yes, it’s that easy.
STEP 6
To stop taking PrEP, simply make sure you keep taking PrEP for two days after you last had sex.
So that’s 2 pills at least 2 hours before sex. Then a single PrEP pill every day. Then, finish by having two sex free days where you have taken PrEP.
Did you follow all the steps? You’re finished!
If you didn’t follow all the steps, keep reading...
We know sex doesn’t always go as planned. So what if I…
Missed sex?
Daily PrEP gives you 24/7 protection from HIV, so you don’t need to worry about how often you have sex or with how many people.
Missed a dose?
Unlike taking On Demand PrEP, Daily PrEP gives you a bit of room for error. For cis guys having sex with other guys, if you miss one or two pills per week you will still have powerful protection. If you miss a dose, you don’t need to take extra - just take your next dose as scheduled. If you have missed more than 3 pills per week - talk to your doctor about PEP.
Want to restart?
If you took a break from PrEP, you can start again any time by beginning at Step 1. Make sure to check in with your doctor to test, and for more pills.
Daily PrEP for everyone
Simple instructions for how to take PrEP if you are not a cisgender man who has sex with men.
Cisgender women, trans folk, and men who do not have sex with men - this is for you!
STEP 1
Start by taking a single PrEP pill. How exciting, you have started your PrEP journey!
STEP 2
Continue taking a single PrEP pill every day for seven days.
STEP 3
Once you have taken PrEP for one week, you are protected.
STEP 4
Continue taking a single PrEP pill every day for as long as you want to be protected from HIV.
*It can help to put a reminder in your phone
STEP 5
To stop taking PrEP, simply make sure you keep taking PrEP for seven days after you last had sex that was protected by PrEP.
You can continue having sex. Talk about condoms, undetectable viral load - or another way of protecting against HIV with your partners.
STEP 6
Have you had 7 sex free days where you took PrEP? Great, you’re finished!
So that’s 7 days of taking PrEP before you are protected. Then, keep taking PrEP daily. Only stop taking PrEP after 7 sex-free days
Did you follow all the steps? You’re finished!
If you didn’t follow all the steps, keep reading...
We know sex doesn’t always go as planned. So what if I…
Missed sex?
Daily PrEP gives you 24/7 protection from HIV, so you don’t need to worry about how often you have sex or with how many people.
Missed a dose?
For women, trans folk, straight cis men, and people who inject drugs - it is important to take PrEP every day. Unlike gay, bi, and other queer cisgender men - the rules are more strict. Sorry about that. If you miss your PrEP, take your next dose without delay. Think about setting a reminder in your diary or phone. If you miss more than a dose here or there- talk to your doctor about PEP.
Want to restart?
If you took a break from PrEP, you can start again any time by beginning at Step 1. Make sure to check in with your doctor to test, and for more pills.