Global HIV Programme
The WHO Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes leads the development and implementation of the global health sector strategy on the elimination of HIV as a public health threat.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
Pre-exposure prophylaxis or “PrEP” is the use of an antiretroviral medication by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition.
As of September 2015, WHO recommends that people at substantial risk of HIV infection should be offered tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)-based oral PrEP as an additional prevention choice, as part of comprehensive prevention. Oral PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV when used as directed. In 2021, WHO recommended that the dapivirine ring may be offered as an additional prevention choice for women at substantial risk of HIV and, in 2022, that long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) may be offered as an additional prevention choice for people at substantial risk of HIV. Other products (e.g., multipurpose prevention products that combine antiretroviral drugs with contraception) are currently studied as additional PrEP options.
News
Publications
11 July 2024
WHO implementation tool for pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection: provider module for oral and long-acting PrEP
1 September 2022
Implementation tool for pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV infection - Integrating STI services
28 July 2022
Guidelines on long-acting injectable cabotegravir for HIV prevention
27 July 2022
Differentiated and simplified pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention: update to WHO implementation guidance
16 July 2021
Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, service delivery and monitoring: recommendations for a public health approach
30 October 2020
HIV drug resistance surveillance in countries scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis
5 June 2020
Preventing HIV and other STIs among women and girls using contraceptive services in contexts with high HIV incidence
25 July 2019
What’s the 2+1+1? Event-driven oral pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV for men who have sex with men: Update to WHO’s recommendation on oral PrEP
1 July 2019
Prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the era of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV
1 August 2018
Appropriate medicines: options for pre-exposure prophylaxis
1 October 2017
Frequently asked questions: testing for HIV, including HIV self-testing, in the context of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
1 July 2017
Preventing HIV during pregnancy and breastfeeding in the context of PrEP
1 June 2016
Consolidated guidelines on the use of antiretroviral drugs for treating and preventing HIV infection: recommendations for a public health approach, 2nd ed
1 September 2015
Guideline on when to start antiretroviral therapy and on pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV
1 April 2013
PrEP demonstration projects: a framework for country level protocol development
1 July 2012
Guidance on oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for serodiscordant couples, men and transgender women who have sex with men at high risk of HIV
Journal articles
Scaling up access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): should nurses do the job?
The Lancet HIV Viewpoint, May 2022
Kidney function in tenofovir disoproxil fumarate-based oral pre-exposure prophylaxis users: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature and a multi-country meta-analysis of individual participant data
The Lancet HIV, April 2022
Adoption of guidelines on and use of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis: a global summary and forecasting study
The Lancet HIV, August 2021
Global Epidemiologic Characteristics of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Individuals Using Preexposure Prophylaxis for the Prevention of HIV Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
JAMA Netw Open. December 2019
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