Award-winning PrEP clinic in Toronto
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Lower Your Chances of HIV Transmission with PrEP
PrEP is a daily pill that is 99% effective at preventing the transmission of HIV.
It can be taken by anyone that is not HIV+ and is looking for additional protection against HIV. This includes men who have sex with men, transgender women, and gender-diverse communities.
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PrEP clinic in Toronto
PrEP clinic in Toronto
PrEP = Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
PrEP = Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
PrEP clinic in Toronto
PrEP clinic in Toronto
PrEP 101
PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and refers to a way of using medication to prevent someone from acquiring HIV.
PrEP requires a prescription. Currently in Canada, it can be taken daily in pill form. Two forms of PrEP are currently approved: Truvada or Descovy. A generic version of Truvada is also available.
PrEP only protects against HIV, not other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, or hepatitis.
Only 1-10% of patients on PrEP experience side effects. Most symptoms tend to go away within 1-2 weeks.
PrEP may be a fit for you if you:
Have sex with men, transgender women, and gender-diverse communities.
Don’t use condoms consistently.
Share drug injection equipment.
Don’t know the HIV status of your sexual partners.
Have more than one or anonymous sexual partners.
Tested positive for infectious syphilis or a bacterial STI in the last year.
Have used post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) more than once.
We're here to offer accessible and affordable PrEP care for our communities, most of our patients pay $0! Ask us about our medSUPPORT program.
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How can I get started on PrEP?
The most common way that people get on PrEP is by filling out some information before getting a blood test. Once the results come back from the lab within a week or two, the doctor will meet with you to review the results and answer any questions you may have.
The fastest way to start is using medsEXPERT with our expert providers who can ask relevant questions to help you decide between our programs.
Our most popular program is the rapid PrEP Start where you can walk-in to any of our locations and walk-out with meds!
All that is involved is a rapid HIV test before you start taking the medications. And if you’ve been recently tested for HIV here in Canada, you can bring your lab test results with you to bypass this step.
After you start taking PrEP, our clinic staff will reach out to set up your first doctor visit with a queer professional within the first month.
FAQ’S About PrEP
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Most people taking PrEP are preventing HIV with just one pill a day!
There are other ways of taking PrEP, most notably the intermittent or “on-demand” method, which involves taking two tablets before having sex and then two tablets after (the exact dosing times and amounts of tablets are described below).
There is also the option of taking PrEP on and off, meaning that someone on PrEP does not always have to take it forever. If for any reason, someone changes the way they want to prevent HIV or are taking a break from sex, they can absolutely discontinue or pause their PrEP use.
No matter what way you take PrEP, it’s important to follow the instructions from our expert doctors and pharmacists who have a great deal of knowledge and experience with HIV.
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Before answering that question, your provider will consider factors such as gender, anatomy, what kind of sex you’re having, and how you plan on taking PrEP.
For example, with the method of taking one pill of PrEP once a day, you should know that it will take at least seven days before you’re protected from HIV when bottoming (also known as receptive anal sex)
However, that is not the case with front hole sex (also known as vaginal sex) which can take up to 14 days to be fully protected by the medication before having condom-less sex.
Other ways of taking PrEP are also effective but not as protective as taking PrEP daily.
For example, with the “intermittent” or “on-demand” method of taking PrEP, there is enough of the medication in the rectum to protect from HIV in just two hours after taking the pills! But it’s important to note that this is not approved for front hole (vaginal) sex.
The important thing is to get the right information from a PrEP expert provider to know what’s right for you.
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This is often asked by our clients when they are in a monogamous relationship, want to take a break from the meds or aren’t having sex as frequently.
There are a few considerations to consider first, including the person’s most recent high risk sexual activity.
Typically, it’s advised that people taking PrEP daily continue taking it for a minimum of 4 weeks after their latest condom-less anal sex.
So if you want to take a break from your PrEP pills but you bottomed today without using a condom, we’d advise you to continue taking PrEP for another 28 days.
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Although we talk a lot about PrEP as pills, there are advances everyday in this field of science including new long acting injectable forms of PrEP!
And there are many different kinds of tablets you will see labeled as PrEP and you might even know someone living with HIV taking the same pills as part of their treatment. Why the confusion?
Because the meds are used for three different purposes including PrEP, PEP, and HIV treatment. The tablets are known my many different brand or trade names including Truvada, Descovy and a few generic versions.
We also carry Cabotegravir injections, known most commonly by their Canadian trade name of Cabenuva, but it is also approved by the US FDA for PrEP use under the name Apretude.
This has been a great option for many of our clients at medsEXPERT who do not want to take tablets daily or might have trouble remembering to take medication around the same time everyday.
We think having many options on the market is great because we are a diverse team ourselves with diverse backgrounds, preferences and habits.
What makes us different from other providers is our field of expertise and years of experience offering great care and multiple options to our community!
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Unfortunately, the manufacturer of both products only offers assistance for Descovy.
Because Descovy is far more expensive than generic versions of Truvada, the manufacturer may be willing to cover up to 30% of the cost of Descovy.
Even without a MAX card assistance program, medsEXPERT is able to help many clients through our very own medSUPPORT program which many of our clients use regardless of what medication they are currently taking.
We love to help our community at medsEXPERT!