> Pre-exposure prophylaxis (**PrEP**) is the use of medications to prevent the spread of disease in people who have not yet been exposed to a disease-causing agent, usually a virus. The term typically refers to the use of antiviral drugs as a strategy for the prevention of [[HIV]]/AIDS. PrEP is one of a number of [[HIV]] prevention strategies for people who are [[HIV]] negative but who have a higher risk of acquiring [[HIV]], including sexually active adults at increased risk of contracting [[HIV]], people who engage in intravenous drug use (see drug injection), and serodiscordant sexually active couples. When used as directed, PrEP has been shown to be highly effective, reducing the risk of acquiring [[HIV]] by up to 99%.As of 2019, the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) recommends two drug combinations for the use as PrEP for [[HIV]]/AIDS: the combination of tenofovir disoproxil and emtricitabine (Truvada), or the combination of tenofovir disoproxil and lamivudine (Cimduo). > > In October 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the combination of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy) to be used as PrEP in addition to Truvada, which provides similar levels of protection. In December 2021, the FDA approved cabotegravir (Apretude), which is an injectable form of PrEP manufactured by ViiV, a pharmaceutical company that specializes in [[HIV]] drugs. Regulators believe it will improve medication adherence because it only has to be taken once every two months, and will also widen adoption as it eliminates the need to hide pills or pharmacy visits for discretion. > > [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-exposure%20prophylaxis)