3 minute read
Who may be eligible for HIV PrEP?
Eligibility is based on current HIV-negative status, future exposure likelihood, safety checks and your prevention preferences.
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 is for HIV-negative people who may benefit from an extra layer of prevention. There is no single identity, relationship type or number of partners that defines eligibility. A useful assessment looks forward at possible exposure and asks whether PrEP is safe and workable for you.
Situations where PrEP may be useful
Examples include sex without condoms with partners whose HIV status is unknown, a partner with HIV who is not confirmed to have a sustained undetectable viral load, recent use of PEP, a recent bacterial STI, shared injecting equipment, or difficulty negotiating condoms. National programmes may use more specific criteria, but the conversation should remain individual.
Checks before starting
HIV infection must be excluded with testing appropriate to recent exposures and symptoms. Kidney function and hepatitis B status are reviewed for tenofovir-based oral PrEP, alongside medicines and supplements. Pregnancy does not automatically exclude PrEP, but benefits, risks and the correct pathway need clinical discussion.
When starting should pause
Symptoms compatible with acute HIV after a recent exposure, an exposure recent enough for PEP, uncertain HIV-test timing or kidney concerns may delay a standard PrEP start. This is a safety decision, not a rejection of prevention. The clinician can arrange more testing, PEP or another plan.
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
If you are unsure whether your risk is “high enough”, ask anyway. Shared decision-making can account for anxiety, autonomy and changing circumstances without requiring you to justify your sex life.
Clinical sources used: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control PrEP standards and European Medicines Agency product information for emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil.