PrEP Emtricitabine/Tenofovir (Generic Truvada Treatment)

Generic Truvada is a type of PrEP medication.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is an effective tablet that can protect you from HIV. It can be taken if you’re HIV negative and there is a high chance you’ll be exposed to the virus, to effectively reduce your risk of getting HIV.

You may have heard of the branded version of this medicine, but most of the PrEP used in the UK is generic PrEP — also known as generic Truvada. Generic Truvada is made to the same standard as the branded version, contains exactly the same effective active ingredients, and works in the same way.

Generic Truvada works by blocking HIV — a virus that attacks the body's immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to infections and diseases. If untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS, which can be life-threatening.

The active ingredients in generic Truvada are emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil. These antiretroviral drugs work together to block the virus from entering cells and multiplying.

This means that if you are exposed to HIV, generic Truvada will stop the virus from reproducing and establishing itself in your body. This prevents you from contracting HIV from your partner.

Generic Truvada is recommended for use by people who have a higher risk of getting HIV.

Certain lifestyle factors can make you more at risk of becoming HIV positive. In particular, you are at a higher risk of catching HIV if you have unprotected sex (without using condoms) and are:

• A man who has sex with men
• A transgender person who has sex with men
• A woman who has sex with bisexual or non-binary people
• Having sex with partners of a positive HIV status
• Having sex with someone with an unknown or unclear HIV status
• Having sex with someone from a country with a high rate of infection
• A sex worker

You are also at risk if you inject drugs and share needles (syringes) or other equipment.

If you are HIV negative and have unprotected anal or vaginal sex, then taking generic Truvada can help to protect you against HIV. 

You must be HIV-negative before you start taking generic Truvada for PrEP. You should also have normal kidney function and make sure you are hepatitis B and C negative before using this treatment. If you have abnormal kidney function or test positive for hepatitis B and C, your GP will need to run some tests and confirm that PrEP is suitable for you.

You should get tested for HIV before you start using PrEP and continue regular testing at least every three months while taking generic Truvada. You can get tested at a sexual health clinic, at your GP surgery, or order an HIV test kit from our online pharmacy. You can take a self-test kit from the comfort of your own home, which means no questions, no labs, and no waiting time. We send all of our home testing kits in discreet packaging.

Generic Truvada is highly effective in preventing HIV when taken regularly.

Results vary, but studies have shown that PrEP like generic Truvada can reduce the risk of contracting HIV through sex by between 90-99%. This is when it is taken daily and remains built up in the user’s system.

PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken daily. However, it can still be effective if following a specific PrEP regime that has been validated, such as on-demand or event-based dosing. There are slightly different PrEP regimes recommended for anal sex and vaginal or frontal sex.

It’s important to remember that generic Truvada only protects against HIV. It won’t prevent you from getting other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, or syphilis. You should still practise safe sex by using barrier methods of protection such as condoms.

While taking PrEP, you should still test for STIs and HIV every three months.

You can still drink alcohol while taking PrEP. Combining alcohol and generic Truvada is not thought to have any negative effects or cause any interactions. Generic Truvada will be just as effective if you are drinking.

However, excessive drinking might cause you to forget to take your generic Truvada dose at the right time, meaning it can’t offer you full protection.

PrEP, like generic Truvada, is not a cure for HIV.

However, generic Truvada can help lower your chance of getting HIV through sex when used as recommended. You should also practise safe sex by using a condom as well as taking PrEP.

There is currently no cure for HIV but it can be managed effectively using specialised antiretroviral medicines. These HIV treatments can help the majority of people with the virus to live a long and healthy life.

PrEP like generic Truvada is currently available in England, Scotland, Wales through the NHS. You can get PrEP medications at your local sexual health clinic. A doctor or nurse will talk through PrEP with you, including whether you need it and whether it is suitable for you.

You can also buy generic Truvada from online pharmacies. At Cloud Pharmacy we offer generic Truvada tablets in different sizes packs to last you from one to three months.

All you need to do to order PrEP is answer a few questions as part of an online consultation process. Once your questionnaire has been reviewed by one of our medical professionals, we can send your treatment out to you.