What is PrEP?

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is the use of antiretroviral medications, generally used to treat HIV infection, to prevent HIV infection in uninfected people.  The use of PrEP to prevent HIV infection is an experimental concept currently being evaluated in different populations at risk for HIV including men, women, injection drug users (IDU), transgender women and other men who have sex with men (MSM), and serodiscordant couples where one of them is HIV positive.  For further information on on-going PrEP trials visit Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention, AVAC.

What role did HIV-affected communities have in the
development of iPrEx and iPrEx OLE?

iPrEx has an extensive history of community input and consultation. Beginning in 2004, when iPrEx was only a concept, the study investigators have engaged in countless consultations with community leaders, advocates, researchers, ethicists, government officials and potential and actual study participants.  An on-going program of focus groups, community forums and personal interviews has helped to continuously improve the study procedures.  All iPrEx study sites maintain mechanisms that promote interaction between the community and study investigators in an ongoing effort to make iPrEx a truly community-based research study.