Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) are two biomedical prevention strategies for HIV-negative persons.

PrEP is a course of medications used to prevent the transmission of HIV in people who have not yet been diagnosed with HIV while PEP is an emergency course of treatment for individuals after a single high-risk exposure to the virus.1

PEP must be taken within 72 hours after the exposure and continued for four weeks, while PrEP can be taken daily on an ongoing basis for as long the patient needs the medication. Studies have shown that PrEP can reduce the risk of contracting HIV from injections by 74% and from sexual activity by up to 99%.2 It is also a key part of the federal government’s plan to reduce new HIV transmissions by 90% by 2030.3