What Is PrEP?

PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-a-day pill to prevent contracting HIV. Presently, only two medications are being prescribed for PrEP: Truvada and Descovy. Your Prep Representative will go over both options and the medical provider will prescribe the one best for you. Studies have demonstrated that taking PrEP can reduce the risk of getting HIV from sex, by 99% when taken as prescribed. And, for injectable drug use, using Truvada for PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by at least 74%, when taken as prescribed. PrEP is much less effective when not taken consistently. PrEP does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections. There are things you can do to reduce the risk of getting STIs (sexually transmitted infections), like:

■ Using latex of polyurethane condoms and lube

■ Talking to your partner about HIV and testing

■ Getting tested regularly for HIV and other STIs

■ Talking to a healthcare provider about how to help reduce the risk of getting STIs, including HIV

Click here to learn about Long-Acting Injectable PrEP.

Click here to locate PrEP Providers around you.

Click here to locate Tele-PrEP Providers.

At Broward Wellness Center (BWC), getting started on PrEP is as simple as 1,2,3

If you are interested in obtaining PrEP, visit the Broward Wellness Center (BWC) at 750 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, or a private doctor providing PrEP services. Locate a participating doctor using the provider search feature on this website GETPrEPBroward.com

STEP 1: Get started, call the PrEP/nPEP Hotline at 954-295-1211 speak with a PrEP Representative. Visit BWC, no appointment needed.

STEP 2: Be evaluated at BWC for PrEP. If eligible, meet PrEP Representative and apply for financial assistance. Health insurance is not required to be enrolled in this program.

STEP 3: Receive your 30-Day starter pack for PrEP and 90-day prescription at BWC — Same Day, Same Visit!

PrEP follow-ups are simple

Stop by the BWC Prep Follow-Up Clinic and speak with a PrEP Representative. No appointment necessary. The Follow-Up Clinic is located in the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), 3rd Avenue, 700 building in Room 200. Business hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 5:45 PM.

BWC follows CDC guidelines that recommend 90-day follow ups with the medical provider for individuals taking PrEP. In order to avoid any interruption of therapy, please make sure to you visit BWC for your PrEP follow ups in a timely manner.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP)

For more information, call our PrEP Line at 954-295-1211

PrEP Resources

For more information on PrEP please visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Contact a PrEP Rep for:

Information about PrEP

• An HIV test

• An appointment with a doctor who prescribes PrEP

• Help applying for FREE PrEP

• Help staying on PrEP

• (954) 295-1211

PrEP Provider List

Click here to Visit our FREE PrEP Clinic at Broward Wellness Center

Broward Wellness Center
750 SE 3rd Avenue Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Mon – Fri 10AM – 7PM
Please arrive by 6pm

PrEP FAQ

  • Why take PrEP?

    For those at very high risk for HIV, PrEP can significantly reduce your risk of HIV infection if taken daily. Daily PrEP use can lower the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% and from injection drug use by more than 70%. You can combine additional strategies with PrEP to reduce your risk even further.

  • Is PrEP a vaccine?

    No. PrEP does not work the same way as a vaccine. A vaccine teaches your body to fight off infection for several years. For PrEP, you take a pill every day by mouth. The pill that was shown to be safe and to help block HIV infection is called “Truvada” (pronounced tru vá duh). Truvada is a combination of two drugs (tenofovir and emtricitabine). If you take PrEP daily, the presence of the medicine in your bloodstream can often stop HIV from taking hold and spreading in your body. If you do not take PrEP every day, there may not be enough medicine in your bloodstream to block the virus.

  • Should I consider taking PrEP?

    PrEP is for people without HIV who are at very high risk for getting it from sex or injection drug use. The federal guidelines recommend that PrEP be considered for people who are HIV-negative and in an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner.

    This recommendation also includes anyone who

    isn’t in a mutually monogamous* relationship with a partner who recently tested HIV-negative, and
    is a . . .
    gay or bisexual man who has had anal sex without using a condom or been diagnosed with an STD in the past 6 months, or
    heterosexual man or woman who does not regularly use condoms during sex with partners of unknown HIV status who are at substantial risk of HIV infection (for example, people who inject drugs or women who have bisexual male partners).
    PrEP is also recommended for people who have injected drugs in the past 6 months and have shared needles or works or been in drug treatment in the past 6 months.

    If you have a partner who is HIV-positive and are considering getting pregnant, talk to your doctor about PrEP if you’re not already taking it. PrEP may be an option to help protect you and your baby from getting HIV infection while you try to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.

    Because PrEP involves daily medication and regular visits to a health care provider, it may not be right for everyone. And PrEP may cause side effects like nausea in some people, but these generally subside over time. These side effects aren’t life threatening.

  • How well does PrEP work?

    Studies have shown that PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90% when used consistently. Among people who inject drugs, PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV by more than 70% when used consistently.

  • Is PrEP safe?

    PrEP can cause side effects like nausea in some people, but these generally subside over time. No serious side effects have been observed, and these side effects aren’t life threatening. If you are taking PrEP, tell your health care provider about any side effects that are severe or do not go away.

  • How can I start PrEP?

    PrEP can be prescribed only by a health care provider, so talk to yours to find out if PrEP is the right HIV prevention strategy for you. You must take PrEP daily for it to work. Also, you must take an HIV test before beginning PrEP to be sure you don’t already have HIV and every 3 months while you’re taking it, so you’ll have to visit your health care provider for regular follow-ups.

  • How do I speak to my doctor or other health care provider about PrEP?

    The cost of PrEP is covered by many health insurance plans, and a commercial medication assistance program provides free PrEP to people with limited income and no insurance to cover PrEP care.

  • If I take PrEP, can I stop using condoms when I have sex?

    No, you should not stop using condoms because you are taking PrEP. PrEP doesn’t give you any protection against other STDs, like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Also, while PrEP can significantly reduce your risk of HIV infection if taken daily, you can combine additional strategies like condom use with PrEP to reduce your risk even further.

    If used the right way every time you have sex, condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV and some STDs you can get through body fluids, like gonorrhea and chlamydia. However, they provide less protection against STDs spread through skin-to-skin contact, like human papillomavirus or HPV (genital warts), genital herpes, and syphilis.

  • How long do I need to take PrEP?

    You must take PrEP daily for it to work. But there are several reasons people stop taking PrEP. For example,

    If your risk of getting HIV infection becomes low because of changes in your life, you may want to stop taking PrEP.
    If you find you don’t want to take a pill every day or often forget to take your pills, other ways of protecting yourself from HIV infection may work better for you.
    If you have side effects from the medicine that are interfering with your life, or if blood tests show that your body is reacting to PrEP in unsafe ways, your provider may stop prescribing PrEP for you.
    You should discuss this question with your health care provider.

  • How long do I have to take PrEP before it is effective?

    When taken every day, PrEP is safe and highly effective in preventing HIV infection. PrEP reaches maximum protection from HIV for receptive anal sex at about 7 days of daily use. For receptive vaginal sex and injection drug use, PrEP reaches maximum protection at about 20 days of daily use. No data are yet available about how long it takes to reach maximum protection for insertive anal or insertive vaginal sex.

  • Does taking PrEP long-term have harmful health effects?

    In people who are HIV-negative and have taken PrEP for up to 5 years, no significant health effects have been seen.

  • Can you start PrEP after you have been exposed to HIV?

    PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is only for people who are at ongoing very high risk of HIV infection. But PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is an option for someone who thinks they’ve recently been exposed to HIV during sex or through sharing needles and works to prepare drugs.

    PEP means taking antiretroviral medicines after a potential exposure to HIV to prevent becoming infected. PEP must be started within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV. If you’re prescribed PEP, you’ll need to take it once or twice daily for 28 days.

What to expect on your BWC PrEP Visit

1. When you arrive at the clinic, use one of the computers in the lobby to register with HealthVana, which will ask you if you are interested in PrEP.

2. Check in with counter clerk (please have ID ready if available, but not necessary*) You will be given a card with a number that the clinic will call instead of your name.

3. Your first stop will be conducting a Rapid HIV Test. Here you will talk to the tester about getting on PrEP.

4. If result is negative, they will ask you to take a seat in a second waiting room to wait for the lab, which will draw blood for PrEP labs in addition to your STD testing.

5. After completion, you will be seen by the provider, who will discuss PrEP with you and provide a free 30-day starter pack of Truvada, which will allow you to start PrEP same-day while waiting for the first prescription to be filled.

6. You will meet with a PrEP Representative to complete your enrollment paperwork, including financial assistance, address any questions or concerns you may have about PrEP, and walk you through what to expect next.

a. If you have insurance, bring the card and separate prescription card, if you have one.

7. Finally, your PrEP Representative will introduce you to the pharmacist.