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Get PrEP now

PrEP stands for "pre-exposure prophylaxis" and involves taking tablets containing the medications "Tenofovir" and "Emtricitabine" to protect yourself from HIV infection. The treatment must begin BEFORE sex.

Play Safe – book your PrEP appointment with the Praxisteam Friedrichshain

PrEP - pre-exposure prophylaxis
PrEP checklist

Check your own risk - should I take PrEP?

  • I am a gay or bisexual man
  • I am HIV negative but my partner is positive
  • I am a Sex worker (AOK)
  • I am a drug user
  • I only have sex without a condom (individual risk assessment)

PrEP-FAQ

Before you make an appointment in our practice to learn more about PrEP, please read the most frequently asked questions and their answers below.

How can I get PrEP from you?

Make an appointment with our doctors, and you'll receive a PrEP prescription right away.

What is PrEP?

PrEP is short for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and serves as a preventive measure against HIV infection through medication taken before sexual activity. PrEP consists of two active ingredients: Tenofovir (TDF) and Emtricitabine (FTC). This medication is the only proven effective drug for PrEP. It is available in Germany both as the original and as a generic version.

PrEP should not be confused with PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). PEP involves taking medication after potential HIV exposure to prevent infection.

How doeas PrEP work?

The PrEP drug contains two active ingredients that prevent the cells from multiplying in the body. If the virus gets into the cells of mucous membranes or the immune system during sex without a condom, it cannot multiply there. In this way, an infection can be prevented, and you remain negative – even though individual body cells have already been infected.

Who does PrEP work for?

Its effectiveness has been proven in trials with gay men who are at particularly high risk of HIV. These are men who have sex frequently and who find it difficult to use condoms. PrEP could also work for heterosexual men or women. However, the studies so far do not provide such convincing success data. Protection often failed because the participants did not take PrEP regularly.

How successful does PrEP protect against HIV?

In 2015, the “Ipergay” and “PROUD” studies showed an 86 percent reduction in the risk of transmission among gay men. Overall, the protection is over 90%. In other words: in the group of men who took the PrEP, there were only a good tenth of the infections that would otherwise exist without PrEP. PrEP thus has a similarly high protective effect against HIV as condoms. Regular use is crucial to its effectiveness. PrEP is not a suitable method for people who have difficulty taking tablets in a disciplined way.

How do I take the PrEP?

PrEP is approved in Germany for both daily and event-driven use.

In a study (IPERGAY), intermittent PrEP was examined. With this event-driven PrEP, two tablets are taken daily or no later than two hours before sex, followed by one tablet each on the first and second days after the risk exposure. In the study, the effectiveness of event-driven PrEP was similarly good as with continuous PrEP. However, this is not scientifically proven beyond doubt and is NOT approved in Germany.

Are there side-effects?

Most people tolerate PrEP well and feel little or no side effects. Some users complain of nausea, diarrhoea, headaches, stomach and joint pain, as well as tiredness or sleep disturbances. Taking PrEP over a long period of time can reduce kidney function in the very unlikely event. Normally, this reduced function will disappear after stopping PrEP. This is not a relevant problem for healthy people, but who knows how well their kidneys are performing? That is why you need to check your kidney function before starting PrEP and then every 3 months. People who suffer from kidney disease should not take PrEP.

When can I start if I already have sex without condoms?

You will immediately receive PrEP from us, even if you have had condomless sex (fucking, fisting) or other risky situations (e.g. chemsex) in the last 4 weeks. To make sure you are as safe as possible, we repeat the HIV test 4 weeks later to rule out an HIV infection that was not detectable at the beginning of the PrEP (the diagnostic window only starts after 4 weeks).

Does PrEP protect against other STIs?

No. PrEP does not provide protection against syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and hepatitis C. You may experience increased STIs and the risk of contracting hepatitis C increases.

Why regular laboratory testing?

If the PrEP is not taken properly, HIV infection can occur. If the infection is then not detected quickly, HIV can become resistant (insensitive) to PrEP. The medicine can then no longer be used to treat the HIV infection. It is therefore important to have an HIV test immediately before starting PrEP and at least every 3 months thereafter.