When you start PrEP, your clinic will do regular monitoring:
- for HIV and STIs
- of your kidney function
Although side effects are rare with PrEP, monitoring helps to find potential problems at an early stage.
Your first time taking PrEP
If it is your first time taking PrEP, you may be offered an appointment after 1 month to check:
- how you are managing the medicine
- if you need any more tests or vaccinations
If you are taking daily PrEP
For daily dosing, every 3 months you should have a:
- HIV blood test (laboratory test)
- test for other STIs
Some people will need a kidney function blood test.
If you are taking event-based PrEP
For event-based dosing, your appointments will depend on:
- how often you use PrEP
- your potential risk for exposure to HIV and STIs
Your PrEP team will talk to you about how often to have HIV and STI testing. They’ll help you make a follow-up plan.
Hepatitis C test
You should have a hepatitis C test every 12 months. You may need this more often depending on your circumstances.
Home STI and HIV testing
You may be able to use our free STI home-testing service for some of your testing follow-up. Talk to your PrEP service about this. They will tell you if it is suitable for you.
