Before starting PrEP you will need a baseline HIV, Hepatitis A, B, C, and Syphilis blood testing, as well as blood tests for your kidney function. Other screening for sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, will be done based on your specific sexual behaviors.

After the screening, you will either have a phone call telling you that you can either start PrEP, or that you are needed to come in sooner for a follow-up based on your test results before you can start PrEP.

Once you have started PrEP, you will need a follow-up appointment and blood testing around a month later to make sure that everything is going well. After that, you will need to have a follow-up appointment and blood work every three months.

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis and is a medication that is administered to prevent people from contracting the Human Immunodeficiency Virus known as HIV. The Pre means that this medication is taken before you come in contact with the virus and contract it. Exposure stands for the actual contracting of the virus. Prophylaxis is the measures taken to prevent the infection before it occurs.

This drug works by preventing HIV from replicating in the body. PrEP acts as a catalyst and helps the body produce antibodies, which help diseases causing germs and viruses. After you have come into contact with the virus the tenofovir and emtricitabine block the enzyme needed by the virus to replicate. If used correctly, PrEP can help eliminate the risk of contracting the virus after you have been exposed.

There are two ways that PrEP can be taken. Either on a tablet per day for seven days before contact or every day for as long as needed. You can also take it on-demand which means taking it before you plan on having intercourse.

PrEP is used by people that do not have HIV and that are at risk of being exposed to HIV through sex or injectable drugs.
The CDC recommends that PrEP is to be considered for people who are HIV-negative and who have had anal or vaginal sex in the past 6 months.

You should also consider PrEP if you have done the following:

– Have had a sexual partner that has HIV
– Have not been using condoms
– Been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease within the last 6 months

PrEP is not only recommended for people without HIV but also for those who inject drugs and also:

– Have an injection partner with HIV
– Have shared needles, syringes, or other objects to inject drugs

You should also consider PrEP for people without HIV and who have been prescribed non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis and:

– Report continued risk behavior
– Have used multiple courses of PEP

If you feel PrEP might be for you or would like more information, reach out to us here at Avant Medical Group. Our medical professional is happy to help with everything PrEP-related.

PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV. PrEP can help reduce the risk from sex by 99% when taken as prescribed. Although there is less information on how effective PrEP pills are among people who inject drugs, we do know that the PrEP pill can help reduce the risk of getting HIV by 74% when taken correctly.

For further information on PrEp and the process, please feel free to reach out to our friendly team at Avant Medical Group. We would be more than happy to answer any questions. Our team will get back to you as soon as possible for all of your PrEP service needs! We are conveniently located at 233 Broadway Suite 2750 New York, NY 10279. Call us today or visit us online to book an appointment. We serve patients from New York NY, Brooklyn NY, Greenwich Village NY, Manhattan NY, and Harlem NY.