Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is when people at high risk for HIV take HIV medicines daily to lower their chances of acquiring HIV.  A combination of two HIV medicines, sold under the name Truvada® (pronounced tru vá duh), is approved for daily use as PrEP to help prevent an HIV-negative person from acquiring HIV through sex or injection drug use. Studies have shown that PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV if it is used as prescribed.  PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken consistently.

Condoms are an important tool in preventing HIV. When used consistently and correctly, condoms are highly effective. They are also effective at preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.