Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP)

Most of us have heard of PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), a month-long series of the anti-HIV drug cocktails you can take after a potential exposure to reduce the chances of becoming infected with HIV. But what if there were a pill you could take before - pre-exposure prophylaxis? Researchers are currently studying whether or not taking regular doses of Tenofovir (one of the currently available HIV meds) will help protect against HIV infection and whether it's safe to do so. If it works, we would have another way to reduce risk. But don't try it yet! We still don't know if it's effective, or if there are unexpected side effects for HIV-negative folks. Until we know for sure, let's keep using condoms and clean needles!

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