PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medication that helps prevent HIV from sex or injection drug use, and it can be a powerful part of your overall health plan. This guide explains how PrEP works, the oral and injectable options now available and who can benefit, including both men and women. You'll learn who should and shouldn't take PrEP, how it's taken, when protection begins, what side effects to expect and how cost and insurance factor in. When taken as prescribed, PrEP dramatically lowers your chance of getting HIV. At Ochsner, a PrEP-experienced care team can answer your questions and help you find the approach that fits your life.