My PrEP
The three options
They protect equally well. What separates them is what they ask of you day to day — and whether you can get them where you live.
Oral PrEP — a tablet
Tenofovir disoproxil and emtricitabine, taken every day or only around sex. The most available option by far, and the only one that offers an on-demand schedule.
Learn moreCabotegravir — every 2 months
An injection into the buttock muscle, six times a year, protective from day 7. Approved across the EU and the US, but reimbursed in only a few countries.
Learn moreLenacapavir — every 6 months
An injection under the skin, twice a year, protective from day 2 with two days of starter tablets. The newest option, and the hardest to obtain.
Learn moreTablet, or injection?
All three protect equally well, but oral PrEP is the starting point everywhere: the injections are alternatives — for people the daily tablet doesn’t work for, and only where they are available.
| — | Oral PrEP | Cabotegravir | Lenacapavir |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | First line, for everyone | When oral PrEP isn’t suitable | When oral PrEP isn’t suitable |
| Rhythm | 1 tablet a day, or 2+1+1 around sex | 1 injection every 2 months | 1 injection every 6 months |
| Protection starts | 2 hours (2-1-1) to 3 weeks | 7 days after the 1st injection | Day 2, with the loading tablets |
| On-demand option | Yes, for anal sex | No — fixed rhythm | No — fixed rhythm |
| Monitoring | HIV test every 3 months | HIV test before every injection | HIV test before every injection |
| Stopping | 2 to 7 days after the last sex | Relay organised over 2 months | Relay organised over ~6 months |
| What you manage | Remembering, every day | Six appointments a year | Two appointments a year |
| Availability | Almost everywhere | A few countries | Very few countries |
Oral PrEP is the first-line option everywhere; the injections are alternatives for when it doesn’t fit. You can still move from one to the other, both ways: switching from tablets to an injection is done on the day you stop the tablets, so protection is never interrupted. It is decided in a consultation, not chosen alone in advance.
How starting works
Four steps, and in most countries nothing that requires a hospital.
- 1An HIV testEssential before starting: PrEP is not begun without knowing your status, because starting with an undetected infection risks resistance.
- 2A consultationWith a GP, a sexual health clinic or a testing centre. Blood work-up and choice of option.
- 3The prescription, or the first injectionTablets are dispensed at a pharmacy; injections are given by a doctor or a nurse.
- 4Follow-upA visit every two to three months, or before each injection: HIV test, STI screening, renewal.
Who it is for
Guidelines offer PrEP broadly, with no minimum number of partners and nothing to justify.
It is particularly indicated in the following situations:
Asking for it is in itself a good enough reason to discuss it. If you think you are exposed, the consultation is the right place to say so.
What PrEP does not do
It protects against HIV, and only against HIV.
Other STIs
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, hepatitis, mpox: PrEP has no effect on these. The screening scheduled with your follow-up is what catches them early — often before any symptom.
Condoms still earn their place
They remain the only method that also reduces the risk of other STIs, and they combine with PrEP without any difficulty.
Contraception
PrEP is not a contraceptive, and it does not interact with hormonal contraception: the two are taken together without adjustment.
What is available where you live
Oral PrEP is available almost everywhere. The injectables are where countries differ sharply — this is the part to check locally.
In United Kingdom, injectable cabotegravir has been commissioned since 3 February 2026 following NICE TA1106, but it is reserved for people who cannot use oral PrEP, and given in specialist clinics.
What it costs
PrEP is free in United Kingdom through public sexual health services.
In United States, all three options are marketed. Oral PrEP and cabotegravir must be covered without cost sharing by compliant health plans; lenacapavir is newer and coverage varies.
What it costs
In United States, PrEP goes through health insurance, and compliant plans must charge nothing for oral PrEP and cabotegravir. Assistance programmes exist if you are uninsured.
In Ireland, oral PrEP is the established option. We could not confirm whether the injectables are obtainable there — a doctor or a sexual health clinic will know.
What it costs
PrEP is free in Ireland through public sexual health services.
In Canada, oral PrEP is the established option. We could not confirm whether the injectables are obtainable there — a doctor or a sexual health clinic will know.
What it costs
PrEP is available in Canada, but we could not confirm how it is paid for. A sexual health clinic will be able to tell you.
In Somewhere else, oral PrEP is the established option. We could not confirm whether the injectables are obtainable there — a doctor or a sexual health clinic will know.
What it costs
PrEP is available in Somewhere else, but we could not confirm how it is paid for. A sexual health clinic will be able to tell you.
Where to go, who to talk to
Local resources to get tested, start PrEP or ask questions — confidential.
- NHS — Find a sexual health clinicFind where to get a test or PrEP near you.
- THT Direct — Terrence Higgins Trust0808 802 1221 · Mon–Fri, 10am–6pmInformation and support line, confidential.
- NHS — Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)Trusted reference information and organisations.
- CDC GetTested — testing & prevention locatorFind where to get a test or PrEP near you.
- HIV.gov — national hotline (CDC-INFO)1-800-232-4636 · Mon–Fri, 8am–8pm ETInformation and support line, confidential.
- HIV.gov — Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)Trusted reference information and organisations.
- HSE — Sexual health services and clinicsFind where to get a test or PrEP near you.
- HSE — HIV and Sexual Health Helpline1800 459 459 · Mon–Fri, 9.30am–5.30pmInformation and support line, confidential.
- HIV Ireland — PrEPTrusted reference information and organisations.
- CATIE — Where To? (service finder)Find where to get a test or PrEP near you.
- Action Canada — Access Line1-888-642-2725 · Every day, 9am–9pm ETInformation and support line, confidential.
- CATIE — HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)Trusted reference information and organisations.
- PrEPWatch — global PrEP availability (AVAC)Find where to get a test or PrEP near you.
- aidsmap — HIV information (PrEP)Trusted reference information and organisations.
Common questions
What comes up most often before a first consultation.
Do I have to justify wanting PrEP?
No. Feeling exposed is reason enough to raise it with a doctor, who then assesses the situation with you.
Is it really free?
It depends on the country. In several, the medicine and the follow-up tests are fully covered and free-of-charge centres handle everything anonymously; in others it goes through insurance with a prescription charge. The availability section above gives your case.
Can I change option later?
Yes, in both directions. The first injection is given on the day you stop the tablets, and going back to tablets is planned so that the relay starts before the injection stops protecting.
Do I need to be followed at a hospital?
Usually not. In most countries any doctor can prescribe oral PrEP, and the first injection does not require a hospital either — though some countries do restrict injectable PrEP to specialist clinics.
Does PrEP protect against other STIs?
No, only against HIV. The screening built into your follow-up is what picks up the others, often before symptoms appear.
What if I am worried after sex?
Post-exposure treatment (PEP) can be started within 48 hours, at an emergency department or a sexual health clinic. The sooner it starts, the better it works.