Things you should know about PrEP and HIV

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Things you should know about PrEP and HIV

By Alpro Pharmacy

November 23, 2023

Feeling anxious after having high risk exposure? Looking for private HIV screening ?

In collaboration with University Malaya, Alpro Pharmacy is offering My PrEP Pharmacy: Accessing PrEP via Community Pharmacies research programme for those who need it.

What is PrEP ?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is medicine taken everyday or on-demand to prevent getting HIV. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infection that attacks the body’s immune system.This makes it easier to get sick with diseases like tuberculosis, infections and some cancers. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of the disease. PrEP is a new way for people who do not have HIV to prevent themselves from becoming infected by taking a protective pill every day.

PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken as prescribed.

PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%.
PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from injection drug use by at least 74%.

Is PrEP for you?
PrEP can help protect you if you don’t have HIV and any of the following apply to you:

You have had anal or vaginal sex in the past 6 months and you:

have a sexual partner with HIV (especially if the partner has an unknown or detectable viral load),
have not consistently used a condom, or
have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the past 6 months.

You have been prescribed PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and you

report continued risk behavior, or
have used multiple courses of PEP.

You may choose to take PrEP, even if the behaviors listed above don’t apply to you. Talk to us to know more.

Is PrEP safe?
Some people taking PrEP may have side effects, like nausea, diarrhea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain. These side effects are usually not serious and go away over time. If you are taking PrEP, tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Note: PrEP can affect the kidney function, so kidney function tests should be conducted for those on PrEP.

Where can you get PrEP?
PrEP can be obtained from certain pharmacies, clinics, and some government hospitals in Malaysia.

You can now get your PrEP with special rebate & free HIV screening in selected Alpro Pharmacy by signing up in this research programme.

My PrEP Pharmacy service available at:

Alpro Pharmacy Trillium Sungai Besi
Alpro Pharmacy Bukit Serdang
Alpro Pharmacy Bandar Puteri Puchong
Alpro Pharmacy PJ Section 17
Alpro Pharmacy Bandar Sri Permaisuri
Alpro Pharmacy Neo Cyberjaya

Click this link to join the research programme https://bit.ly/PREP_Me

Reference:
1. HIV and AIDS [Internet]. World Health Organization; [cited 2023 Nov 22]. Available from:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hiv-aids?gclid=CjwKCAiAx_GqBhBQEiwAlDNAZnL2G-aBtQpFPceMvONgi84pR9qX5jzMAJzzfX6-gOiIAWnhT0Uv-xoC2LkQAvD_BwE

2. Deciding to take prep [Internet]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2022 [cited 2023 Nov 22]. Available from:
https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prep/prep-decision.html

3. Pre-exposure prophylaxis [Internet]. [cited 2023 Nov 22]. Available from: https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/using-hiv-medication-to-reduce-risk/pre-exposure-prophylaxis/

4. Prep & pep – malaysian aids council [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2023 Nov 22]. Available from: https://mac.org.my/v4/prep-pep/