PrEP: definition, how to take it, stop it and get it in France

What is PrEP?

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is an anti-HIV medicine taken before possible exposure by an HIV-negative person to stop the virus from taking hold. In France it is usually a pill combining tenofovir and emtricitabine (generic Truvada). WHO counts it among the major prevention tools, alongside condoms, testing and treatment of HIV-positive people.

Sexosafe (Santé publique France) sums it up: PrEP is highly effective, but only optimal when the schedule is followed. It protects only against HIV, not other STIs.

How do you take PrEP?

Daily

• Start: 2 pills together, 2 to 24 hours before the first sex;
• then 1 pill a day at a fixed time, even on days without sex;
• stopping: 1 pill a day for 2 days after the last sex (7 days for trans men).

On demand (event-based)

Only for cisgender men having anal sex:

• 2 pills 2 to 24 hours before sex;
• 1 pill 24 hours after the first dose;
• 1 pill 48 hours after the first dose;
• if sex continues, keep taking 1 pill a day, until 2 days after the last sex.

As an injection

Since March 2026, injectable PrEP (cabotegravir, one injection every two months) has been available and reimbursed in France. See injectable PrEP.

How do you get PrEP in France?

• Who prescribes? Any doctor: hospital, CeGIDD sexual health clinic, and GPs since 1 June 2021.
• How much does it cost? It is 100% covered by national health insurance.
• Before the first prescription: negative HIV test, kidney check, STI and hepatitis screening, hepatitis A and B vaccination if needed.
• Follow-up: a visit every 3 months with testing for HIV, other STIs and hepatitis C.

If your doctor is uncomfortable, Sida Info Service (0 800 840 800) can refer you to a PrEP clinic. According to EPI-PHARE, 67,505 people used PrEP in France in the first half of 2025, 94% of them men.

How do you stop and restart PrEP?

Sexosafe spells out the rules:

• Stopping: keep taking 1 pill a day for 2 days after the last sex (7 days for trans men), at the same time.
• Exception: if you have chronic hepatitis B, never stop without medical advice, as PrEP also acts on that virus.
• While off PrEP: you are no longer protected; use condoms, test regularly, and get PEP within 48 h after a risk.
• Restarting: if you had unprotected sex since stopping, you need a negative HIV test and a new prescription before starting again.

PrEP and other STIs: what to know

PrEP does not protect against syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia or hepatitis C, which are rising in France (see STIs: the guide). The 3-monthly follow-up exists precisely to detect and treat them quickly. Think about vaccines too (hepatitis A and B, HPV, mpox).

Is PrEP for me?

If you are HIV-negative and sometimes have sex without condoms, with partners whose status you don’t know, or during chemsex, the answer is probably yes. Sexosafe has an online questionnaire to help you decide.