{"id":2797,"date":"2023-05-22T14:22:33","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T14:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mycheckin.ch\/information\/prep\/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep\/"},"modified":"2024-04-30T07:36:36","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T07:36:36","slug":"pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mycheckin.ch\/en\/information\/prep\/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thanks to today’s therapeutic options, HIV infection in Switzerland has changed from a fatal disease to a chronic one that can be well controlled with medication. However, this requires daily medication for those affected. So it’s still worth protecting yourself from HIV infection \u2013 PrEP gives you another prevention option. <\/h3>\n\n

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The most important thing about PrEP<\/h2>\n\n

PrEP means “pre-exposure prophylaxis”, i.e. prevention of infection in the event of risk contact. PrEP is a safer sex method in which HIV-negative individuals take a combination of two HIV agents (tenofovir and emtricitabine, found in the drug Truvada or equivalent generics) to protect themselves from contracting HIV. The drug must be prescribed by a doctor and is not covered by health insurance in Switzerland. You can take PrEP every day or on a schedule. Those taking PrEP must be regularly screened for HIV, other STDs, and kidney function. Good medical support is part of PrEP. PrEP protects against HIV, but not against other STIs. <\/p>\n\n

How does PrEP work?<\/h2>\n\n

PrEP prevents the HIV virus from replicating once it has entered the body. However, for this to happen, a sufficient amount of the active ingredients must be present in the blood and mucous membranes. If PrEP is discontinued, the active ingredients in the body disappear and so does the protective effect. <\/p>\n\n

In extremely rare cases, the transmitted viruses are already resistant to the PrEP combination. Then infection can occur despite correct PrEP use. However, only a handful of such cases have been reported worldwide to date. <\/p>\n\n

Who is PrEP for?<\/h2>\n\n

The reasons for use of PrEP are very different and highly individual. PrEP is aimed primarily at people who have an increased risk of HIV infection and cannot – or do not want to \u2013 protect themselves consistently with condoms. <\/p>\n\n

The German-Austrian PrEP guidelines recommend PrEP for all people at increased (“substantial”) risk of HIV. These include, for example: <\/p>\n\n