PrEP Treatment - HIV Prevention Medication
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis)
It’s the use of anti-HIV medication that keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected. PrEP is approved by the FDA and has been shown to be safe and effective. A single pill taken once daily, it is highly effective against HIV when taken every day. The medication interferes with HIV’s ability to copy itself in your body after you’ve been exposed. This prevents it from establishing an infection and making you sick.
Is PrEP effective in preventing HIV?
Yes if used properly. PrEP is proved to be effective in reducing the risk of acquiring HIV through sex when used consistently with strict adherence. According to the iPrEx clinical study by the US Department of Health and Human Services in 2011, the risk of HIV acquisition was reduced by as much as 96%-99% (CI: 86%-100%) among men who have sex with men (MSM) who adhered well to PrEP. Studies show that daily doses of PrEP also reduced HIV transmission among heterosexual serodiscordant couples (in which one partner is infected with HIV and the other is not) by 75%.
Please note that the effectiveness of PrEP is highly contingent on the degree of drug adherence of the user. One needs to adhere strictly to the drug regimen to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV.
PrEP Medication
Neo-Health provides different types of PrEP to the public.
- Teno-EM
Hong Kong Registration Number: HK-66324
Manufacturer: GPO( The Government Pharmaceutical Organization of Thailand)
Package: 30 tabs per bottle
Why take PrEP?
For those at very high risk for HIV, daily PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV from sex or injection drug use. PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken consistently.
Who is recommanded to take PrEP?
PrEP is for people without HIV who are at very high risk for getting it from sex or injection drug use. The federal guidelines recommend that PrEP be considered for people who are HIV-negative and in an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner.
This recommendation also includes anyone who
- isn’t in a mutually monogamous* relationship with a partner who recently tested HIV-negative, and
- is a . . .
- gay or bisexual man who has had anal sex without using a condom or been diagnosed with an STD in the past 6 months, or
- heterosexual man or woman who does not regularly use condoms during sex with partners of unknown HIV status who are at substantial risk of HIV infection (for example, people who inject drugs or women who have bisexual male partners).
PrEP is also recommended for people who have injected drugs in the past 6 months and have shared needles or works or been in drug treatment in the past 6 months.
If you have a partner who is HIV-positive and are considering getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about PrEP if you’re not already taking it. PrEP may be an option to help protect you and your baby from getting HIV infection while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.
Because PrEP involves daily medication and regular visits to a health care provider, it may not be right for everyone. And PrEP may cause side effects like nausea in some people, but these generally subside over time. These side effects aren’t life threatening.
Side Effect
PrEP can cause side effects like nausea in some people, but these generally subside over time. No serious side effects have been observed, and these side effects aren’t life threatening. If you are taking PrEP, tell your health care provider about any side effects that are severe or do not go away.
Price in Hong Kong
As Hong Kong Government does not provide any subsidy to PrEP user, therefore, PrEP is relatively expansive when comparing with other countries.
Private Clinic : $8,000-$10,000
Teno-EM : $1200
Enquiries
Telephone : (852) 3160 4886
E-mail : neo@neohealth.com.hk
