Pre-exposure prophylaxis
Pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP is the use of an antiretroviral medication to prevent the acquisition of HIV infection by uninfected persons. PrEP may either be taken orally, using an antiretroviral drug available for treatment of HIV infection (tenofovir plus emtricitabine), or topically as a vaginal gel containing tenofovir. The efficacy of oral PrEP has been shown in four randomized control trials and is high when the drug is used as directed. The efficacy of gel has been shown in one trial and is moderate. Making these drugs available for safe, effective prevention outside the clinical trial setting is the current challenge. As of September 2015, WHO recommends that people at substantial risk of HIV infection should be offered PrEP as an additional prevention choice, as part of comprehensive prevention.
Latest updates
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Oral PrEP Tool app
New app to access WHO PrEP implementation tool - July 2018 -
Brazil begins PrEP roll-out on World AIDS Day
December 2017 -
WHO implementation tool for pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection
July 2017 -
WHO implementation tool for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) of HIV infection
Policy brief - July 2017 -
Preventing HIV during pregnancy and breastfeeding in the context of PrEP
July 2017 -
Beyond the 90-90-90: refocusing HIV prevention as part of the global HIV response
January 2017 -
Countries share experiences and lessons learned on implementing HIV self-testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis
June 2016 -
WHO congratulates South Africa on new strategy for sex workers
News update - March 2016
Global PrEP Coalition
General information
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Frequently asked questions – Testing for HIV, including HIV self-testing, in the context of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
December 2017 -
Treat all people living with HIV, offer antiretrovirals as additional prevention choice for people at "substantial" risk
News release - September 2015 -
With PrEP from San Francisco
Photo story - September 2015 -
WHO welcomes new evidence on the use of antiretrovirals for prevention and treatment of HIV infection
February 2015
Events and meetings
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Appropriate medicines: options for pre-exposure prophylaxis
Meeting report - March 2016 -
Stakeholder consultation on priority implementation research to inform development of WHO normative guidance on topical pre-exposure prophylaxis
Meeting report - 26-28 March 2014
Durban, South Africa
Technical documents
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What’s the 2+1+1? Event-driven oral pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV for men who have sex with men: Update to WHO’s recommendation on oral PrEP
Technical brief - July 2019 -
Prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the era of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV
Technical brief - July 2019 -
WHO expands recommendation on oral pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection (PrEP)
Policy brief - November 2015 -
Guideline on when to start antiretroviral therapy and on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV
September 2015 -
PrEP implementation science: state-of-the-art and research agenda
Supplement - JIAS Journal of the International AIDS Society - July 2015 -
Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis: putting a new choice in context
Publication produced collaboratively between UNAIDS, WHO and AVAC - July 2015 -
The transition from postexposure prophylaxis to preexposure prophylaxis: an emerging opportunity for biobehavioral HIV prevention
Clinical Infectious Diseases supplement on HIV pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis - May 2015 -
Clinical Infectious Diseases supplement on PEP and PrEP
May 2015 -
Technical update on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
February 2015