Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention
HIV prevention strategy using preventative medication for HIV-negative individuals / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention, commonly known as PrEP, is a form of medication used to prevent HIV infection, the cause of HIV/AIDS.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis is a general term for the use of medications to prevent the spread of disease in people who have not yet been exposed to a disease-causing agent.
The term PrEP now typically refers to the use of antiviral drugs as a strategy for the prevention of HIV/AIDS.[1] PrEP is one of a number of HIV prevention strategies for people who are HIV negative but who have a higher risk of acquiring HIV, including sexually active adults who are at increased risk of contracting HIV, people who engage in intravenous drug use (see drug injection), and serodiscordant sexually active couples.[2] When used as directed, PrEP for HIV infection has been shown to be highly effective, reducing the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual intercourse by up to 99% and injection drug use by 74%.[3]
The first form of PrEP for HIV prevention - emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil (FTC/TDF; Truvada) - was approved in 2012.[4] In October 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide (FTC/TAF; Descovy) to be used as PrEP besides Truvada, which provides similar levels of protection.[5] Descovy, however, is only currently approved for males and transgender women, as the efficacy has not been assessed in people at risk through receptive vaginal sex.[2]
In December 2021, the FDA approved cabotegravir (Apretude), which is an injectable form of PrEP manufactured by ViiV. Regulators believe it will improve medication adherence because it only has to be taken once every two months, and will also widen adoption as it eliminates the need to hide pills or pharmacy visits for discretion.[6]
As of their 2021 guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends multiple forms of PrEP for HIV prevention:[7]
- Oral PrEP using TDF-containing compounds for anyone at substantial risk of HIV infection;
- Event-driven PrEP for men who have sex with men; and
- The dapivirine vaginal ring (DPV-VR) for women at substantial risk of HIV infection who do not have access to oral PrEPs.[7]
This article provides information regarding PrEP medical uses, contraindications and side effects, societal and cultural perspectives on its usage, and recent research studies concerning PrEP.