PrEP Daily HIV Prevention Pill
PrEP Memberships include medication & clinical support for $90/mo
+ labs between $0-$55
PrEP Daily HIV Prevention Pill
PrEP Memberships include medication & clinical support for $90/mo
+ labs between $0-$55
Three-month supply shipped directly and discreetly to you, billed monthly.
Unlimited messaging with LGBTQ+ specialized clinicians
Lab options available with refill reminders
Easy to get started
Start With PrEP • $90/mth
Choose the appropriate labs for your care plan
Consult with our care team about your health history
Medications are shipped discreetly to your door
How FOLX Works
Choose the appropriate labs for your care plan
Consult with our care team about your health history
Medications are shipped discreetly to your door
PrEP: Stress free intimacy
What is PrEP?
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-daily pill that is taken to lower your chances of getting HIV from sex or sharing injection equipment such as needles.
How effective is PrEP?
PrEP is 99% effective at reducing the likelihood of contracting HIV by blocking the enzyme “reverse transcriptase” that HIV uses to make more copies of itself and infect the body.
How long does it take PrEP to work?
PrEP reaches adequate concentration for effectiveness in seven days in rectal tissues and 21 days in vaginal, neovaginal, colon neovaginal, peritoneal neovaginal, and penile-inversion neovaginal tissues
Is generic PrEP different than Truvada or Descovy?
No, their efficacy is the same. Truvada, TDF/FTC, and Descovy are effective and safe to take, however, Truvada and TDF/FTC have been on the market for longer so we have more safety data.
Does taking PrEP affect HRT?
PrEP does not decrease the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and HRT does not affect how well PrEP works. You can find more on how HRT and PrEP interact in our Library.
Is PrEP right for me?
Still not sure? More on PrEP in the FOLX Library.
If you’re having sex, PrEP could be right for you. People can contract HIV by coming into contact with someone else’s bodily fluids. The body fluids HIV lives in are blood, semen, pre-ejaculate, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and human milk. PrEP is for anyone but is generally recommended for:
People who have partners living with HIV with a detectable viral load or don’t know their HIV status
People who share needles or other injection equipment
People who bareback (don’t always use condoms)
Anyone interested in a stress free sex life
Still not sure? More on PrEP in the FOLX Library.
PrEP Labs Options
| Upload your own | Free |
| Quest Diagnostics | $35/mth |
| FOLX at-home lab kit | $55/mth |
Ingredients
Active ingredients: emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate
Inactive ingredients: croscarmellose sodium, lactose monohydrate, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, and pregelatinized starch (gluten-free). The tablets are coated with opadry II white 32K18425, which contains hypromellose 15cP, lactose monohydrate, titanium dioxide, and triacetin.
Qualifications & FAQs
View All FAQs
Anyone who wants to prevent HIV infection can sign up to receive PrEP through FOLX. There are a few exceptions for who we can provide care for, see ineligibility below.
PrEP should not be taken by people with any of the following:
- Living with HIV
- Have acute or chronic Hepatitis B infection
- Have kidney disease on dialysis or Stage 3-5 kidney disease
- Have a history of pathologic fracture (broken bones without a known cause) or are at high risk for osteoporosis
- HIV test to start PrEP and then once every 3 months
- Creatinine (kidney function) test to start PrEP, once at 3 months, and then every 6 months
- Hepatitis B test to check for infection before starting PrEP
While not required for PrEP, we also recommend periodic STI screenings.
People who have had a possible HIV exposure in the last 4 weeks may need an additional test one month after starting PrEP. If you have had a possible exposure to HIV within 4 weeks of starting PrEP, please be sure to tell us.
FOLX ensures your confidentiality. Labs, however, are legally required to report positive HIV test results to your local Department of Health (DOH). We will do everything within our power to make sure that you hear the news of a positive test result from our clinicians first, but it may be possible that the DOH reaches you before we do. If the DOH does call you, it is fully voluntary for you to share any information with them.
PrEP reaches adequate concentration for effectiveness in seven days in rectal tissues and 21 days in vaginal, neovaginal, colon neovaginal, peritoneal neovaginal, and penile-inversion neovaginal tissues. PrEP loses its efficacy when taken less than 5 days a week. Take it every day.
Less than 1 out of 10 people experience side effects and they typically resolve within about two months. Some of the most common side effects include:
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea/vomiting
- Rash
PrEP may also cause some initial increase in fatigue, but this should pass after a few weeks.
Only if you want to be. If your partner or partners are on PrEP (and remain HIV negative) you will too, whether you're on PrEP or not.
You can stop at any time but just know that it takes 7-21 days for it to become effective again.
No, their efficacy is the same. Truvada, TDF/FTC, and Descovy are effective and safe to take, however, Truvada and TDF/FTC have been on the market for longer so we have more safety data.
Taking the pill with food or an over-the-counter anti-nausea aid can be helpful.
PrEP is 99% effective at preventing HIV transmission through sex. Consistent and correct use of condoms is considered 90-99% effective while inconsistent and incorrect use is 60-70% effective. Condoms limit exposure to other STI infections that PrEP does not.
No, it won’t affect muscle mass or weight.
PrEP reaches adequate concentration for effectiveness in seven days in rectal tissues and 21 days in vaginal, neovaginal, colon neovaginal, peritoneal neovaginal, and penile-inversion neovaginal tissues. PrEP loses its efficacy when taken less than 5 days a week. Take it every day.
No, their efficacy is the same. Truvada, TDF/FTC, and Descovy are effective and safe to take, however, Truvada and TDF/FTC have been on the market for longer so we have more safety data.
Less than 1 out of 10 people experience side effects and they typically resolve within about two months. Some of the most common side effects include:
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea/vomiting
- Rash
PrEP may also cause some initial increase in fatigue, but this should pass after a few weeks.
Taking the pill with food or an over-the-counter anti-nausea aid can be helpful.
Only if you want to be. If your partner or partners are on PrEP (and remain HIV negative) you will too, whether you're on PrEP or not.
PrEP is 99% effective at preventing HIV transmission through sex. Consistent and correct use of condoms is considered 90-99% effective while inconsistent and incorrect use is 60-70% effective. Condoms limit exposure to other STI infections that PrEP does not.
You can stop at any time but just know that it takes 7-21 days for it to become effective again.
No, it won’t affect muscle mass or weight.
