3 minute read
PrEP testing and follow-up: what is checked and why
HIV testing, kidney monitoring and STI care are repeated because safe PrEP is an ongoing prevention service. See what each follow-up checks.
DIRECT ANSWER
An online consultation lets an EU-licensed doctor review your case and, if appropriate, issue an electronic prescription; each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it.
Doctor reply in under 2 hours
Average doctor reply under 2 hours; at night and on public holidays it can take longer, always within 24 hours. A prescription only if appropriate.
EU-licensed doctors
Every case is reviewed by an EU-licensed doctor.
Electronic prescription
Each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense an approved prescription; some do not accept PDF prescriptions.
HOW IT WORKS
From consultation to collection
- 1
Consultation
Answer a secure medical questionnaire online.
- 2
Doctor reviews
An EU-licensed doctor personally assesses your case.
- 3
Prescription only if appropriate
The doctor replies in under 2 hours on average and issues a prescription only if it is clinically appropriate.
- 4
Collect at the pharmacy you choose
Take an approved prescription to the pharmacy you choose; each pharmacy decides whether it can dispense it.
PrEP follow-up is not paperwork attached to a prescription. It confirms that you remain HIV-negative, checks medicine safety and creates regular access to wider sexual-health care. EMA product information calls for HIV testing at least every three months for established oral PrEP.
HIV testing
Testing before start and at follow-up must account for recent exposures, PEP use, PrEP adherence and symptoms. A laboratory antigen/antibody test may be combined with other testing when acute infection is possible. Continuing two-drug PrEP during undiagnosed HIV infection is unsafe because it is not a complete treatment regimen.
Kidney and hepatitis checks
Kidney function is checked before tenofovir-disoproxil PrEP and repeated at an interval matched to your results and risk factors. Hepatitis B testing matters because the same medicines act against hepatitis B; stopping can allow a flare in someone with chronic infection and requires a planned approach.
STI screening and changing needs
Testing sites are chosen from sexual exposure, not assumptions about identity. Vaccination, contraception, condoms, mental wellbeing and substance use can be discussed without making PrEP conditional on perfect behaviour. If your relationships or exposure change, the plan can change too.
When to seek help
PrEP must not be started or restarted without excluding HIV infection at the appropriate time. Fever, rash, sore throat, swollen glands or a flu-like illness after a recent exposure may be signs of acute HIV and need prompt testing. A very recent high-risk exposure may call for urgent post-exposure prophylaxis instead; PEP is time-sensitive and should be assessed immediately.
What to prepare for a medical review
A PrEP review covers recent exposures, the timing and type of HIV tests, kidney function, hepatitis B status, other medicines, pregnancy where relevant, and a wider STI screen. Follow-up testing is essential even when you feel well. Protection depends on taking the agreed schedule correctly, and national access pathways can differ across Europe.
A calm next step
Book the next follow-up before tablets run out and tell the service about missed doses or exposures honestly. The purpose is to keep prevention effective, not to catch you doing something wrong.
Clinical sources used: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control PrEP standards and European Medicines Agency product information for emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil.