Dr. Demetre: So this is a great question. How big of a deal is it if I accidentally miss a dose of PrEP?
Dr. David: Got questions about PrEP? #AskTheHIVDoc has all the answers.
Dr. Demetre: So now that you’re on PrEP, if you miss 1 or 2 doses it’s not a big deal. If you make a habit of it, if you’re missing 3 or 4 doses a week, it is a big deal. The more you take it on schedule, the more likely it works. It’s like any medicine. If you take a blood pressure medicine it makes your blood pressure better. Take a diabetes medicine, it makes your diabetes better. You take a medicine to prevent HIV, it prevents HIV. If you don’t take it, it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work on the shelf, it doesn’t work in the pharmacy. It works when it is in your body. Shoot for taking it everyday. If you miss a dose here and there don’t beat yourself up, but don’t make a habit of it.
“The more you take medication on schedule, the more likely it works.” These are wise words from Dr. Demetre, who in this espisode, goes over what to do if you miss a dose of PrEP.
PrEP is available by prescription as a daily pill or long-acting injectable. In pill form, PrEP must be taken every day. If you miss a dose, try to get back on a consistent schedule as soon as possible. As long as you don’t make a habit of missing doses, missing one will not likely affect the level of protection daily PrEP offers from HIV. For everyone, consistent use of PrEP is associated with increased effectiveness as compared with less consistent use, so the more frequently you take it, the more effective it is. Plain and simple.
#AskTheHIVDoc is a video series from Greater Than HIV featuring top HIV doctors providing answers to commonly-asked questions about HIV prevention, testing and treatment.
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