PrEp for HIV prevention
What is PrEP?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people at high risk for HIV take a medication every day to lower their chances of getting infected. When taken daily, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV. Call (704) 316-6561 to schedule an appointment and see if PrEP might be a good choice for you.
PrEP is recommended for HIV-negative people who are at high risk of getting HIV. This includes you if…
- You don’t regularly use condoms and don’t know the HIV status of your sexual partner(s)
- Your sexual partner(s) is HIV positive, even if you consistently use condoms
- Your sexual partner(s) injects drugs or has sex with other people besides you
- You are male and have anal sex with men without condoms
- You inject drugs
- You’ve had a sexually transmitted infection, such as gonorrhea or syphilis
- You have an HIV-positive partner and are considering getting pregnant
Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken every day. Among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74% when taken every day. Since PrEP does not protect against other STIs or pregnancy, you should still use condoms the right way every time you have sex.
Most insurances cover PrEP. If your copay makes it challenging for you to afford the medication, we can work with you to see if you may qualify for a discounted copay.
CCHC also offers PrEP for free for people who don’t have insurance through a partnership with the Mecklenburg County Health Department.
If you’re interested in starting PrEP, call (704) 316-6561. We will help you schedule an appointment at CCHC to find out if PrEP is a good choice for you.