PrEP is for anyone at ongoing HIV risk.

PrEP is not a drug for a particular identity or community. It is a clinical tool for a specific situation: being HIV-negative while facing an ongoing realistic possibility of HIV exposure. If that describes you, PrEP is worth considering regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, relationship structure, or anything else.

The question is not who you are. It is whether your circumstances mean HIV exposure is a real, ongoing possibility.

You should consider PrEP if any of these apply.

• You have an HIV-positive partner, especially if their viral load or treatment status is unknown or not confirmed undetectable. If they are on treatment with a confirmed undetectable viral load, U=U means HIV is not passed on through sex, but PrEP adds a second layer if you want that extra certainty.
• You have multiple sexual partners or don’t always use condoms consistently. Risk accumulates with each exposure, and PrEP provides continuous protection that doesn’t depend on remembering to use a condom every time.
• You’ve needed PEP before. Using PEP once or more signals that your risk level is real and ongoing. PrEP is designed for exactly that situation: continuous protection rather than repeated emergency responses.
• You are a man who has sex with men. MSM in Nigeria face disproportionately high HIV risk. PrEP is one of the most evidence-backed tools for this group.
• You are a sex worker. PrEP provides consistent protection across multiple partners and exposures without disrupting work.
• You inject drugs or share needles. Daily PrEP reduces HIV risk from this route by at least 74% when taken consistently.
• You’ve recently had an STI. Having gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, or another STI is a strong signal of the kind of sexual exposure that also carries HIV risk. It’s a clinical prompt to assess whether PrEP is appropriate.

PrEP is about risk, not identity.

One of the most important things to understand about PrEP is that it is not restricted to any specific group. It is not only for gay men, not only for sex workers, not only for people in obvious high-risk categories. It is for anyone who is HIV-negative and faces ongoing HIV risk. That includes married couples in serodiscordant relationships, women in relationships with men of unknown HIV status, young adults in high-prevalence areas, and many others who don’t fit any obvious label.

The decision about whether to start PrEP is a personal health decision made between you and a pharmacist or doctor based on your actual circumstances, not your identity.

What you need to start PrEP.

PrEP is only appropriate for people who are confirmed HIV-negative before starting, so everyone needs an HIV test first. If you choose the daily pill, you’ll also need a simple kidney function blood test, because the medicine passes through the kidneys. The injections, lenacapavir and CAB-LA, don’t need a kidney test.

Once started, you’ll have an HIV test every three months. On the daily pill, you’ll also have a kidney check every 6 to 12 months. Zivoko manages all of this remotely via WhatsApp and sends reminders so nothing slips through.

There are now three ways to take PrEP: a daily pill, an injection every two months, or an injection twice a year. See which PrEP is right for you, then read how to start PrEP in Nigeria for step-by-step details.

Common questions about who PrEP is for.

Where this guidance comes from.

The clinical guidance on this page reflects the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can read the primary guidance directly from WHO and the CDC.

Zivoko is a pharmacist-led service. This page was medically reviewed by Jude Ozioko, Pharmacist (PCN 024035). This page is informational and does not replace a consultation.