Opened a new box and the pills look different from last time? Don’t stress. This is normal, and your PrEP is still doing its job.

In Australia, PrEP is dispensed as a generic version of the original brand, Truvada. Different manufacturers make pills that can look a little different from each other, but every genuine generic contains the same active ingredients, tenofovir disoproxil and emtricitabine, the medicines that protect you against HIV. Studies in the UK have shown the generic versions work just as well as the original brand.

Intermittent PrEP  also called “PrEP on demand” is a way to take PrEP medication if you find your level of sexual activity is infrequent, your risk of exposure is only for short periods of time – such as travel, or you have significant side effects from PrEP that make taking daily tablets undesirable. (1)

The iPerGay study showed that short term use of Truvada PrEP can be effective using the following schedule (2) for CIS males who have sex with other men:

In this video I wanted to explain the best way to take PrEP when travelling, in particular when you are crossing time zones.

As noted in previous videos, Truvada for PrEP is a robust treatment and occasional changes in time of dosing will not have a major impact on it’s protection against HIV.

I recommend all people continue to take the medication at the same time they would normally take the  medication.

In this video I just wanted to share how to quickly check for any interactions between PrEP and prescription medications you may be taking.

While Truvada (Tenofovir & Emtricitabine) are a well tolerated medication there are a few drugs that can interact. In particular, medications that can affect the kidneys are always worth checking with your doctor.

The site I recommend to check for drug interactions is the University of Liverpools site:

Just wanted to say a special thanks to Mu Delta for kindly agreeing to share his experience of PrEP not only from a user perspective but also for someone in Europe. PrEP is now starting to increase in use in Belgium.

If you would like to learn more about PrEP be sure to enjoy the other videos of this website.

How do I take PrEP?

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There are a number of different studies that look at ways that you can take PrEP. However, here in Australia, our recommendation is that PrEP should be taken every day. When PrEP is taken every day, what we know is that there is enough drug within the system to reduce the risk of HIV infection by about 99%. It's very important that you find a regular routine to take the tablet. For some people, I say find something that you do on a reliable basis every day and then attach taking that drug at that time. For example, if every morning you have a coffee, take your drug, put it beside the coffee jar as a reminder to take the medicine every day. Sometimes, using an app on your phone can be helpful as a reminder to take your tablet. It may also be useful to get a small container and place one or two tablets of your PrEP inside that container and throw it into your work bag. That way, if you forget to take a tablet, you've got one with you and you can take it straight away.

Does being on PrEP mean that I can give up condoms?

Often, the reason that people are going onto PrEP is because they weren’t actually using condoms to start with. What we have found is that if a person is using PrEP as their protection against HIV, if they don’t use a condom or a condom breaks every now and then, they will still be protected against HIV. We do recommend that people continue to use condoms, because they can help reduce the risk of other sexually-transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and even herpes. They don’t absolutely protect against these transmissions; however, they can help reduce them.

No, daily isn’t the only way to take PrEP. Here’s how on-demand (2-1-1) dosing works and who it’s for.