Get PrEPped for sex!PrEP stands for
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It’s like the birth control pill but for HIV. It’s a prescribed daily pill that contains a combination of two anti-HIV medications that people who are HIV-negative can take to prevent HIV transmission from happening. In Canada, generic
Truvada is used and has the anti-HIV meds: emtricitabine and tenofovir.
PrEP is highly effective when taken every day. In some provinces, PrEP is covered by public health plans. In British Columbia, PrEP is 100% covered, and in Ontario, youth 24 and under can have free access to PrEP via OHIP+. Check out this link
for more info.
Registered First Nations and recognized Inuit people also have federal coverage of PrEP through the Non-Insured Health Benefits program (NIHB). For more info, check out
this link. Looking for who to contact with questions? Go
here.
How long does it take for PrEP to be effective?
It depends on what type of sex you have.
For receptive anal sex, PrEP takes about 7 days to reach maximum protection. This means that if you’re interested in receiving anal sex, you should take PrEP at least 7 days before the day you have sex, on the day you have sex, and continue taking PrEP every day after the encounter.
For vaginal or frontal sex, PrEP takes about 20 days to reach maximum protection. This means that if you’re interested in receiving vaginal sex, you should take PrEP at least 20 days before the day you have sex, on the day you have sex, and continue taking PrEP daily after that.
PrEP is also safe to use for trans folks on hormone therapy, as Truvada does not reduce hormone levels. You can find more info about it
here.