Queerty<\/em> spoke with doctors from sexual health clinics in the US who reported similar findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not just because some people were having less sex: Some patients felt less comfortable traveling to clinics whilst they were supposed to be staying home. Others didn\u2019t take to telehealth services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s that digital divide,\u201d says Dr. Maya Green, Medical Director for Howard Brown Health<\/a> and Founder of HIV Real Talk, a community-based HIV screening and prevention project in high-risk communities in Chicago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s the access to care issues that a lot of people experience, and then certainly if you were in a community that has been marginalized, the access to care has some strains on it. The pandemic snapped the small strings holding that process together for a lot of clinics and a lot of PrEP access.\u201dHowever, things have definitely been returning to normal this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jorge Roman is the Clinical Director of San Francisco AIDS Foundatio<\/a>n. He noticed a big upswing in services since February. It\u2019s now back to pre-pandemic levels. Talk of a \u201cHot Vax Summer,\u201d with the newly-vaccinated throwing themselves back into dating, has seen many resume their sex life with gusto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of this, if you have interrupted your normal PrEP routine, it\u2019s very important to start again. Everyone we talked to said there are some things you should bear in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf someone is taking PrEP daily and engages in unprotected sex with somebody, our recommendation is always to take PrEP for at least one month after that sexual encounter,\u201d Roman told Queerty. \u201cThat would be the first place where people are putting themselves at risk if they start and stop it too suddenly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like the Australian study, Roman says he knows of some men that have switched to taking PrEP on-demand<\/a> during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means taking a double dose 2-24 hours before sex. You then take a single dose 24 hours after that dose, and then another 24 hours later. Studies have found this to be as effective as taking PrEP daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it should be noted, the FDA in the US approved PrEP as a daily medication only<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On-demand dosing requires knowing in advance when you might be having sex and a certain amount of planning. Many people prefer the simplicity of taking a daily pill and knowing they\u2019re always prepared for sex. This leads us to the next point\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Roman says failure to take PrEP as prescribed can lead to people becoming HIV positive. He\u2019s seen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOver the last year, I would say it was individuals who had a prescription for PrEP and maybe not filled it or were thinking they weren\u2019t at high risk so we’re going to utilize on-demand strategies, and just didn\u2019t take those first two pills and thought, \u2018I\u2019ll just start taking it after the encounter and I\u2019ll be OK.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo there have been many cases where the individuals had a prescription, knew what they had the option of doing, and unfortunately didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n WH Harris is a TeleKind Provider, which alongside Kind Clinic<\/a>, is a program of Texas Health Action. He\u2019s similarly experienced people believing they wouldn\u2019t be putting themselves at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have had a couple of patients who stopped taking PrEP as directed during the pandemic thinking that they were not going to be sexually active, then unexpectedly they engaged in sexual intercourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMonths down the line their HIV test came back reactive. The risk is there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is crucial. Again, those we spoke with said they\u2019d known individuals who stopped taking PrEP, contracted HIV, and then wanted to start PrEP again without knowing they were positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf someone was off PrEP and had a sexual encounter with someone who happened to be HIV-positive who wasn\u2019t controlling their viral load, and then decides to re-start PrEP, the concern is they\u2019re on a medication that prevents HIV but doesn\u2019t control<\/em> HIV,\u201d says Roman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf they were to become HIV positive, and restart PrEP, there is the danger they\u2019d develop resistance to the class of medications that PrEP \u2013 Truvada and Descovy \u2013 falls under. That is always the concern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, if you\u2019re HIV-positive and take PrEP, it can seriously screw up your treatment options further down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Green remembers one such case of seroconversion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen just one person,\u201d she says. \u201cThey restarted PrEP without knowing they were HIV positive. Luckily that person came in, said \u2018Hey, I need my labs.\u2019 They had started PrEP again just a couple of days earlier. We were able to get that result and do what was needed for the patient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always get tested for HIV before starting or restarting PrEP. If your insurance doesn\u2019t already demand it, it\u2019s also a good idea to get tested every three months for HIV and other STIs, and check your kidney function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If resuming a daily dose of PrEP medication, also remember that it takes a few days to reach full effectiveness. Around a week for Truvada for anal sex, or 21 days for vaginal sex and injecting drug users who share needles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Covid pandemic has turned our lives upside down in many ways. Although PrEP is highly effective at protecting you from HIV, getting back into a routine can be hard. And some people, for whatever reason, will always struggle to take a daily pill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, further treatment options might soon be available. Two of the clinicians we spoke to expressed excitement about Cabotegravir<\/a>. This injectable form of PrEP, which can be given by a doctor every couple of months, is expected to be approved for use by the FDA later this year or early next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com\/2021\/09\/gay_men_hugging_cuddle__kiss_shutterstock_1216000219-670x447.jpg\")
1. Don\u2019t stop straight after a sexual encounter<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Don\u2019t stop unless you know for certain you won\u2019t be putting yourself at risk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. If you stop, always take an HIV test before restarting PrEP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Posed](\"https:\/\/queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com\/2021\/09\/truvada_prep_hiv_shutterstock_1707515653-670x447.jpg\")
4. Remember to take PrEP for a few days before any risky sex<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Finally, if you struggle with a daily pill, stopping and starting may soon be less of an issue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n