PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis: HIV medicine wey you dey take before any exposure to protect yourself) na medicine wey pipo wey no get HIV dey take so HIV no go hold body if exposure (wen HIV fit don enter your body) happen. E dey among di tins wey dey prevent HIV pass, but how well e go work for you depend on weda you dey take am di way dem prescribe.

How well PrEP dey work

CDC estimate say PrEP dey reduce di risk to get HIV from sex by about 99% for men wey dey sleep wit men, wen dem take am every day. For men and women wey dey sleep wit opposite sex, CDC figure low pass, about 90%, based on recent use. PrEP dey reduce di risk from to inject drug by at least 74%. Di calculator dey use di first figure for anal and oral sex, and di second one for vaginal sex.

To see wetin dat one mean, take receptive anal sex (di person wey dem enter) wit partner wey get HIV and e no dey take treatment, di type of sex wey get di highest risk. Without PrEP, di estimated risk na 1.4% (around 1 out of 72) for each act. Wit PrEP wey you dey take well, e go fall reach 0.014% (around 1 out of 7,200). For woman wey dey do vaginal sex wit man wey get HIV, e go fall from 0.08% (around 1 out of 1,200) reach 0.008% (around 1 out of 12,000). Dat one na smaller drop, becos di estimate of how PrEP dey work for vaginal sex low pass.

Why missed doses matter

PrEP dey work only if enough medicine dey your body wen exposure happen. CDC tok am straight: you must take PrEP di way dem prescribe make e work.

Di calculator dey use three levels for di same act of receptive anal sex wit partner wey get HIV:

  • You dey take am well: 0.014% (around 1 out of 7,200)
  • You dey take am well most times, but you miss some doses: 0.14% (around 1 out of 720)
  • You no dey take am well: 0.69% (around 1 out of 140)

For receptive vaginal sex, di same three levels dey give 0.008% (around 1 out of 12,000), 0.02% (around 1 out of 5,000) and 0.048% (around 1 out of 2,100).

Di middle and lower levels na wetin di calculator assume to work wit, no be exact measurement. But di direction clear: di more doses you miss, di less protection you get.

If you don miss many doses and you get possible exposure, contact health worker sharp-sharp. Dem fit tell you weda you need PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis: HIV medicine wey you go take afta exposure to stop di virus), wey you must start within 72 hours.

Wen protection dey start

Protection no dey start immediately wen you first start. CDC say PrEP tablets dey reach full protection afta about 7 days of daily use for receptive anal sex, and about 21 days for receptive vaginal sex and to inject drug. For PrEP injection, di timing depend on di type of injection.

Before you start, you need HIV test to make sure say you no don already get HIV.

You get possible exposure before PrEP full work, or afta you stop am? Ask health worker about PEP. You must start am within 72 hours, and e beta make you start within 24. See how to get PEP.

PrEP options

  • Daily tablets. Di option wey most pipo dey use.
  • Event-driven tablets, wey you dey take around di time of sex. Dis na option for some men wey dey sleep wit men. Your health worker go explain di exact schedule.
  • Long-acting injections, wey health worker dey give at set times.

If you just finish PEP and you expect more exposures, CDC guidelines support make you enter PrEP straight without gap, wit HIV test wen PEP course end.

To stop and start again

CDC advise make you tok to your health worker if you dey tink to stop PrEP, so you fit plan am safely and still dey protected if your situation change. If you wan start again later, you go need anoda HIV test first, just like wen you first start.

PrEP no dey prevent oda STIs

CDC clear say PrEP dey reduce di chance to get HIV but e no dey prevent oda STIs (sexually transmitted infection, wey be infection wey dey pass through sex) or belle. Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis fit still pass between partners. Oda STIs also dey make di risk of HIV almost double (di calculator dey use factor of 2).

Condoms dey help protect against many oda STIs, and you fit ask for STI tests wen you go for your PrEP check-ups. Read more for HIV and STIs.

Regular check-ups

As you dey take PrEP, CDC advise make you dey go clinic regularly for HIV tests and to collect more medicine or injection. Dis visits dey catch problem early. For di rare case wey test show positive, see wetin to do afta positive HIV test.

Wetin to do now

  • You dey take PrEP di way dem prescribe? Your risk from sex dey very low. Continue and no miss your check-ups.
  • You miss doses and you get recent exposure? Contact health worker now about PEP. Di time na 72 hours.
  • You just start? Remember say protection dey take time to build. Use condom for dat time if you fit.
  • You dey tink to stop? Plan am wit your health worker first.
  • You neva start PrEP? Read about PrEP and PEP and ask sexual health clinic weda e good for you.