Antiretroviral Medications for the Prevention of HIV Infection: A Clinical Approach to Preexposure Prophylaxis, Postexposure Prophylaxis, and Treatment as Prevention

Abstract

Preventing new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections is essential to halting the global pandemic. HIV prevention strategies include integrating both nonpharmacologic (eg, safe sexual counseling, circumcision) and pharmacologic approaches. Several pharmacologic HIV prevention strategies are increasingly used globally and include postexposure prophylaxis, preexposure prophylaxis, and treatment as prevention. These prevention modalities have enormous clinical and public health appeal, as they effectively reduce HIV acquisition in individuals and also may lower HIV incidence in communities when integrated and implemented broadly. Efforts are now underway to scale HIV prevention programs using these techniques in both high- and low-resource settings.

Keywords: HIV; PEP; Postexposure prophylaxis; PrEP; Preexposure prophylaxis; Prevention; Treatment as prevention.