At Philadelphia FIGHT… Anyone can access PrEP
- PrEP can be used by both men and women.
- PrEP is a medication that blocks the HIV virus from attacking T-cells.
- PrEP works best when taken or injected as prescribed.
- PrEP should not be taken by someone living with HIV
PrEP works by protecting your body’s T cells in your immune system. The medication puts up a protective barrier around these cells so when the HIV virus enters the body, the virus is not able to attack the body’s T cells.
After taking PrEP consistently for 1 week, the medication in PrEP forms a type of protective shield around your body’s CD4 T cells.
If or when you are exposed to HIV through unprotected sex or sharing injection drug equipment, HIV can enter your body.
When HIV enters the body, it looks for CD4 T cells to attack. HIV can only use this specific type of cell to replicate.
Once HIV reaches the CD4 T cells, HIV is unable to attack them because PrEP has created a protective shield to block HIV.
Since the virus is not able to attack the CD4 T cells and replicate, the virus cells die off and do not cause HIV infection.
