# Ask the guy on PrEP **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 18, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597 "2017-07-18T20:09:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/1 "2017-07-18T20:09:38Z")
As a spin off of [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=831299), I’m starting my thread where you can ask questions of someone who takes Truvada daily to protect against HIV infection. I’m in the United States and I’ve been on PrEP since December of 2014. As of January 2017, it is completely covered by my insurance as preventive medicine. Prior to that, I used my HSA money to cover the $2500 deductible on my high deductible health plan through my employer. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/2 "2017-07-18T20:23:41Z")
Do you use it because you have a positive partner, or as a backup for condoms? How long has it been available? I only heard of it a few months ago. Is it safe to be on your entire life? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/3 "2017-07-18T20:29:15Z")
How much does it cut down on your chances of contracting the virus? ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/4 "2017-07-18T20:37:42Z")
Are a lot of your friends/acquaintances on it too? (I’m reminded of that scene from RENT where someone yells, “AZT break!” and everyone reaches for their meds.) ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/5 "2017-07-18T20:45:13Z")
> [@QuarkChild](#): > > Do you use it because you have a positive partner, or as a backup for condoms? How long has it been available? I only heard of it a few months ago. > > Is it safe to be on your entire life? I use it because I don’t use condoms. I first heard of in in 2013. I plan to stay on it for the rest of my active sexual life. I’m single right now. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/6 "2017-07-18T20:47:04Z")
Is it covered by government mandate, or did your insurance make the change on their own? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/7 "2017-07-18T20:47:25Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > How much does it cut down on your chances of contracting the virus? From the latest research, it reduces it by 99% ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/8 "2017-07-18T20:51:04Z")
> [@QuarkChild](#): > > Are a lot of your friends/acquaintances on it too? (I’m reminded of that scene from RENT where someone yells, “AZT break!” and everyone reaches for their meds.) Almost everyone I know is either positive undetectable or negative on PrEP. I think it is a great think that we talk about these things a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/9 "2017-07-18T20:54:41Z")
Is it for HIV- people who hope to remain negative, or for HIV+ people who hope not to pass it on? Or both? Does it work for both sexes, or just men? All of the ads I’ve seen have featured men. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/10 "2017-07-18T21:00:00Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I use it because I don’t use condoms. I first heard of in in 2013. I plan to stay on it for the rest of my active sexual life. I’m single right now. Are you concerned about other STDs? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/11 "2017-07-18T21:00:33Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Is it covered by government mandate, or did your insurance make the change on their own? It’s not a government mandate. I assume the insurance company made a decision to cover it. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/12 "2017-07-18T21:12:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is it for HIV- people who hope to remain negative, or for HIV+ people who hope not to pass it on? Or both? > Does it work for both sexes, or just men? All of the ads I’ve seen have featured men. It is for HIV- people who want to remain that way. It has been used for HIV+ people as part of their treatment routine, although the single pill treatments are more common these days. I have no idea if it works for females. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/13 "2017-07-18T21:19:59Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Are you concerned about other STDs? Yes. I’ve had secondary syphilis twice. It’s awful. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/14 "2017-07-18T21:20:37Z")
Truvada interferes with the ability of HIV infected cells to replicate themselves which is not a gendered process so it’s effective for both men and women. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-on-prep/791597/15 "2017-07-18T21:48:20Z")
I don’t have questions, I’m just happy for you! PrEP is good news in the HIV universe.