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What’s your position on protection from HIV?

It might be time to think about your position on HIV prevention.

There are many ways to help reduce the risk of getting HIV through sex—including practising safer sex, testing and counselling, education and awareness programs and prescription medication for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). HIV can also be transmitted by sharing injection drug equipment. If you inject drugs, do not share needles or other drug equipment to reduce your risk of infection.

HIV PREVENTION OPTIONS

Practising safer sex

Choose safer sexual practices to reduce the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV, including:

Condom use
The main cause of HIV transmission is anal or vaginal sex without a condom or without taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV. Using condoms the right way every time you have sex can help prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Condoms are worn on the penis during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Internal condoms (aka “female” condoms) are also available. These work the same way as other condoms but are worn inside the vagina during sex.

You can buy condoms online, in pharmacies, or get them from your local clinic. Many clinics offer free condoms.

Need information on how to use condoms? Talk to your healthcare professional or click here for a Public Health Agency of Canada overview on safer condom use.

Number of sexual partners
The more sexual partners you have, the more likely you are to have a partner with uncontrolled HIV or another STI. Either way, this can increase risk of HIV transmission.

Testing and counselling

To reduce the risk of acquiring or transmitting HIV, talk to your partner about HIV testing and get tested before you have sex. You and your partner should also get tested and treated for other STIs before having sex. Having an STI can increase your risk of getting or transmitting HIV.

For more information on testing and counselling and how to get tested in your region for HIV and STIs, please visit the Get Checked website.

Education and awareness programs

The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) states that increasing awareness and education of HIV, especially among young people and key affected populations, is essential.

Talk to your healthcare professional or visit the CANFAR website for more information about raising awareness of HIV across Canada.

Avoid sharing needles

HIV can also be transmitted by sharing injection drug equipment, such as needles and syringes, with someone who already has the virus. If you do inject drugs, only use sterile equipment and water—and never share your needles, syringes, or other equipment with others.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

PrEP is a medical option for people who do not have HIV but are at risk of getting HIV through sex. The Public Health Agency of Canada also states that it is reasonable to prescribe PrEP to adults or adolescents who request it.

PrEP involves taking oral or injectable antiretroviral medications on an ongoing basis to help prevent acquiring HIV through sex. Oral PrEP involves taking a pill once a day. Long-acting injectable PrEP is given as two  injections one month apart, followed by one injection every two months.

If you start taking PrEP, initial testing for HIV and other STIs and testing throughout the time you are taking PrEP will be required and is recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

PrEP medications have the potential to cause side effects and may not be suitable for everyone. When taking PrEP, use a condom with oral or penetrative sex and don’t risk blood transfer (e.g., don’t share needles).

Your healthcare professional will have more information on whether PrEP is appropriate for you.

PrEP OPTIONS

There are currently three options available in Canada for PrEP. Click the arrows to find out more!

Injectable suspension

APRETUDE (cabotegravir tablets and cabotegravir extended release injectable suspension)

How it works
Contains the active ingredient cabotegravir, which belongs to a group of antiretroviral medicines called integrase inhibitors (INIs). It reduces the risk of getting HIV-1 when the medicine is in your bloodstream before you are exposed to HIV-1.

Indication
To reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in people who are at least 12 years of age and weigh at least 35 kg.

How it is taken

Month injection

Side effects
The most common side effects are injection site reactions (APRETUDE injection only), headache, diarrhea and feeling hot.

Oral antiretroviral agent

TRUVADA (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine, TDF/FTC)

How it works
When used with safer sex practices, TRUVADA may help to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when the medicines are in your bloodstream before you are exposed to HIV-1.

Indication
To help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used with safer sex practices in HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men, who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

TRUVADA is for adults age 18 and older. TRUVADA is not indicated in children under age 18 or adults over age 65.

How it is taken

TabletOne tablet orally (by mouth) once a day, with or without food.

Side effects
The most common side effects are diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headache.

DESCOVY (emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, FTC/TAF)

How it works
To reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when the medicines are in your bloodstream before you are exposed to HIV-1. Continue to practice safe sex. Use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. Do not re-use or share needles.

Indication
To help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents who weigh at least 35 kg. Not for use in people assigned female at birth who are at risk of getting HIV-1 infection from vaginal sex, because effectiveness has not been studied.

How it is taken

TabletOne tablet orally (by mouth) once a day, with or without food.

Side effects
The most common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, headache and fatigue.

PRACTISING SAFER SEX, TESTING, EDUCATION, NOT SHARING NEEDLES, AND PrEP—MANY WAYS TO HELP PREVENT HIV.
ASK YOUR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TODAY.

Discussion Guide

This questionnaire will let you rank the importance of these questions/statements to you. You can use this list at your next healthcare professional’s visit to help guide the conversation.

On a scale of 1 (not important) to 5 (very important), rate your interest in the question or statement below.

Can I get information about condom use?

Talk to a healthcare professional today about your options for reducing your risk of acquiring HIV through sex.
Resources
Resources

Check out these websites with information about ways to help reduce your risk of acquiring HIV through sex.