A medicine people at risk for HIV take to prevent getting HIV from sex or injection drug use.
DESCOVY for PrEP: (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-daily prescription medicine for adults at risk of HIV, which lowers the chances of getting HIV through sex.
It is not for females who are at risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex, because its effectiveness has not been studied.
You MUST be HIV-negative before and while taking DESCOVY for PrEP.
Talk to one of our trusted pharmists about your risk for HIV and if DESCOVY for PrEP may be an option for you.
Before and while taking DESCOVY for PrEP:
You must be HIV-negative before you start and while taking DESCOVY for PrEP. You must get tested for HIV-1 immediately before and at least every 3 months while taking DESCOVY. If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. They may want to do more tests to confirm that you are still HIV-negative.
Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or while taking DESCOVY. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.
DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. Do not take DESCOVY for PrEP unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.
DESCOVY does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to reduce the risk of getting STIs.
To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1:
Do not miss any doses of DESCOVY. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1.
Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. If your partner is living with HIV, your risk of getting HIV is lower if your partner consistently takes HIV treatment every day.
Get tested for other STIs. Some STIs make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.
Talk to your healthcare provider about all the ways to help reduce HIV risk. We are associated with our trusted partner APLA where we are “committed to improving the health and well-being of the LGBT community and ending the AIDS epidemic”.