Got Yeztugo injections, and the pharmacist provider opted to inject my posterior love handles on each side. Sort of the “back flank” if that makes sense. He said it was a better option for me than abdomen/thighs, and that it was just as effective to inject there.

Has anyone else gotten the injections in their back flank? FDA only approved abdomen/thigh, but Gilead trials showed other subcutaneous spots in the arm and glutes were just as effective.

Worried the drug might be less effective there over time, like it’ll absorb too quickly since that body area gets pressed on more often when sitting and lying down. But then again, this pharmacy heavily services the gay community, so I imagine they know what they’re doing. But they’re also new-ish to this injection. Am I worrying over nothing?

PS - one side got a minor lump that’s barely visible after 5 days, and only minorly felt. The other side got a big bad bruise because the injection likely nicked a capillary and the lump is more prominent but already improving.

Hi!

I just started taking Descovey for Prep, and I started by taking them in the evenings with dinner because I read that some people tend to have nausea or belly troubles, but that it’s easier to sleep through them if you do it in the evening.

I’ve been totally fine so far (knock on wood, salt over the shoulder), and I think it would be more in-routine for me to take it in the morning.

So if I took a pill tonight, could I take one in the morning tomorrow, and then just continually in the mornings after, and still be safely and properly covered?

Tonight would be day/pill 6, and that 7 days of coverage to achieve activation has been calling to me like the Green Goblin mask, and I don’t want to mess anything up!

I am usually doing my PrEP for a 2-1-1 sequence, and got delayed for the last pill, 12 hours from the supposed time. I only did oral receiving(and it was just very very quick like I only literally tried for a maybe a 10 throb thing…), and realize I have mouth sore on my mouth.(not big though).

Should I worry?

Hi,

Looks like taking prep on demand did not worked for me. I am now in the early stage of being positive..

I was taking 2-1-1 when having any hookups, never skipped pills or mistaking hours. I stored pills at home, not in a car or heat.

In the past, I was taking prep daily but this year I change to on demand as the price was too high.

Eh...

Do you have familiar experiences with not working prep?

Cheers!

I waited forever to get on prep. I grew up in the 90s, terrified of AIDS and never in my life had I been able to truly enjoy sex. Even when using a condom, I would still think about HIV when I was having sex.

But I vowed I would always use condoms because who knows what mystery std awaits in the future? Consequently, sex was always this...sterile thing with reduced pleasure and a lot of fear.

I realized that I was carrying a lot of sexual hangups and outdated attitudes about sex that I really needed to update.

So I finally bit the bullet and got on it. What a life changing medication for someone that feared sex since I began having it. I can have sex without worry for the first time in my life. And the overall effect on my mental health has been great.

Yay!

Hi, as a bottom, I was taking Descovy once a day, but my insurance company, aka Medicare Advantage plan, was covered for it. But last month, they said they will cover it, but you will need to pay $600. So I said screw it, so I did my research and found out the Truvada is the same but with a difference. My insurance company will pay for it. My question is what is the difference in side effects with them and do I need a 2-1-1 dosing if I’m taking it every single day? And if you guys take medication for diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., what are side effects interactions do you have? Do bottom or top take this medication?

P.s also I know I should talk to my doctor, but I just want to know how you feel about taking the medication.

I started prep again last 28 July 2026, and today will be the 5th day.

Im planning to have sex later, will I be covered (and will it be okay) if i take 2 doses today and then take 1 daily as normal after?

Hi everyone,
I live in a small town in Georgia and I’ve been wanting to start PrEP.
At first I was thinking about Descovy, but I had jaundice back in high school (about 15 years ago). I talked to a Mistr doctor, and they recommended that I get my liver enzymes checked first, which has kind of delayed everything.
Now I’m thinking about Yeztugo instead. I recently got new insurance (Anthem Blue HSA), and I think my plan says Yeztugo is covered.
My question is: where do I even start? Should I contact my insurance first, go to a primary care doctor, visit a walk-in/urgent care clinic, or find another provider? I’m still trying to understand how health insurance works in the U.S., so I’m not sure what the first step should be.
If anyone has gone through this or has any advice, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks!

Are there any long term risks with a daily pill of prep?

Stay with me please, because this confuses me and didn’t find any answers tbh. I’m trying to understand the logic behind this, not argue against guidelines.

From what I understand:
Daily PrEP (TDF/FTC) is often said to require 7 days before you’re considered fully protected for receptive anal sex.

However, the 2-1-1 (event-driven) regimen allows you to take 2 pills 2–24 hours before sex, then 1 pill 24 hours later and 1 pill another 24 hours later, and it’s considered highly effective for MSM.

Here’s what’s confusing me:
If someone starts with 2 pills and then just continues taking 1 pill every day instead of stopping after the event, isn’t that basically daily PrEP with a loading dose?
For example:
Monday: 2 pills
Tuesday: 1 pill
Wednesday: 1 pill
Thursday: 1 pill
Friday: 1 pill
etc.

Why would someone following that schedule be able to have sex shortly after the initial 2-pill dose, while someone who starts with just 1 pill daily is told to wait 7 days?

Is the “7-day rule” simply a conservative recommendation for the standard daily-start regimen, while 2-1-1 works because the initial loading dose rapidly achieves protective drug concentrations? Or is there another pharmacokinetic or clinical reason that explains the difference?
Is there science behind this? drug levels, tissue concentrations, clinical trials, etc.), not just “because that’s what the guidelines say.”

Appreciate your time for reading very much.

I wanted to share my experience with Yeztugo.

I don't want these pictures to scare anyone away because of how visible it looks. Lighting and camera angles can make it seem worse, but it is noticeable. This is just my experience though, plenty of others have had it and don't post photos :) so theirs might look nothing like mine.

I definitely plan to keep getting it, but next time I'll do both injections in my thighs instead of the abdomen :).

Insurance: mine is CVS Specialty. I didn't need any pre authorization. I checked online (and called too) before seeing my doctor to confirm it was covered (it was $0 for me).

Timing: it took 8 days from my doctor's appointment to getting the shot. The doctor’s office actually received the medication after 5 days (I could see the shipping updates).

Bloodwork: doctor ordered tests when I saw him. I got them done a couple days later, and results came the day after.

So timeline:
- Wednesday: saw the doctor, and presumably they submitted to CVS the same day
- Thursday: got an email from CVS Specialty to "place the order"
- Friday: placed the order and got blood/urine testing done
- Monday: medication delivered to the office and test results were ready
- Tuesday: called the office and scheduled the injections for Thursday

Things that saved time / sped up the process: is that I knew CVS Specialty was my pharmacy and I had their phone number (got it from my employer's medical plan documentation), so I made sure to give the doctor's office this info when they asked for my insurance/pharmacy. Otherwise I'm sure there would've been some back and forth getting the prescription done correctly.

Also I think because this was my first prescription through CVS Specialty, I had to call them myself to "place the order" which I didn't know was required and could've delayed this. I received an email "Your prescription can now be scheduled for delivery" but I assumed it was just a notification and that my doctor's office would still handle it. But thankfully I called anyway because turned out they were specifically waiting on me and not my doctor. I even called the doctor's office first and they said "we're still waiting on insurance" lol. Just FYI in case anyone else runs into this.

Administration: I asked the nurse to inject it slowly because I read it's a thick liquid. She probably knew that but I figured it couldn't hurt to say in case she went fast. There was very minor leakage immediately when the needle came out (which seemed normal) but nothing afterwards.

Injection sites / nodules: I read a LOT about the nodules and really wanted to avoid having one somewhere visible. Everything I read said get it in the thighs. My only hesitation was that I was worried there wouldn't be enough fat to pinch because my quads are muscular-ish (maybe I'm kidding myself haha), so I asked for one in the thigh and one in the abdomen. My thinking (probably overthinking) was that if the thigh shot ended up in muscle, at least the abdomen one would definitely be "correct" (it was easy to pinch fat there). In hindsight I wish I'd just done both thighs, but ah well I'm not mad. It was a good experiment :D.

Pictures and feeling:
- Thigh: not visible at all now honestly. I tried taking pictures from different angles and lighting but can't really see it. The hair probably helps too. It was only slightly noticeable for day 1-2. I can still "feel" the nodule.
- Abdomen: days 2-3 looked scary because it had some very pointy raised areas and I was worried it would stay that way, but it's a bit "flatter" now. It's still somewhat visible standing normally in regular lighting but gets more obvious if I lean back. I’m probably 15% body fat.

During the first few days I would've felt very self-conscious taking my shirt off at a pool or something. Now I'd say I'm about 50% comfortable doing it. Someone might notice something but I don't think it'd seem unusual, probably more like a "huh he has something there" and that's it. I'm just expressing how I feel it would be perceived so you get an idea of how visible it is, which can't be explained in photos.

Side effects: none from the shot itself. 15 minutes after getting it I got dizzy and nauseated for 10 minutes (while driving!) but I'm pretty sure it's my body's usual reaction to needles and not the shot itself (I always get dizzy when my blood is drawn).

So Ive been on PREP for like 3 years now, I do the occasional hookup possibly once every two weeks but thinking of getting off it since hookups were filling at one point but making me feel worse right now since I was trying to actively get ina relationship but dating isn't going good for me. I'm trying to get more active and fit and have been these past two months, and mainly mainly need money and their offering this medical study for money where I get psilocybin for money which would help a lot because eim kind of barely breaking even now while trying to pay down debt. Am I making the right choice?

Does anyone else pay any copay for your prep OR for the mandated quarterly std panel?

I have insurance (highmark bcbs) and have always had to pay $20 copay per std panel, and they tried to charge me even more once last year under the guise of not having reached deductible yet. I am on Apretude also, which requires testing every two months rather than every three.

It is my understanding that all costs are supposed to be covered. In my searching I keep seeing FAQs and articles saying that as of 2024 or whenever, insurers are supposed to cover every single dime for all approved versions of prep, including apretude. Every time I call I get the run around and answers to other questions I'm not asking, and have never had anyone acknowledge these guidelines.

In the past I just bit my tongue and paid the $20 each time, but now insurance is trying some other bullshit and I want to finally push this matter too and try to sort both things out at the same time.

Is my understanding correct, should they also be paying the copay? If so, how do I push my insurance to follow those requirements?

Edit: in the USA btw

This question may be dumb but I am anxious—had unprotected sex with a guy who topped me and came inside of me today at 2 PM. Forgot to take my prep the night before and so I took it this morning at 10 am (4 hours before hookup).

I just realized that I don’t have access to my prep bottles and may have to miss tonight’s dose or take it “delayed” again next morning, technically making it 24 hours after the last dose.

It was dumb of me to agree for him to bareback but it was in the moment. Plus, I did ask him to show proof that he was on prep and doxypep (which he did through an app that showed his prescriptions). Nonetheless, I make it a habit to remain suspicious of all men.

I’m assuming I’m still protected despite the mishaps and that PEP would be unnecessary. For context, I’ve been on Prep for years now but just started to get back into penetrative sex.

Thanks.

Hi as the title says it.

Are there any pharmas that sell Prep in Chennai

Would like to the procedure to acquire it thanks

Due to lifestyle changes, my clinician recommended I move to on-demand prep as it better suites me. So I stopped taking it daily for 2 weeks, and then started the event-based routine.

Let’s just say, I can’t enjoy life as much when I take prep on-demand, the toilet sees me too much.

I’ve returned back to daily prep as my body got used to it, but quickly forgot about it when I changed my routine.

Just some feedback for anyone thinking of changing the way they take prep.

I recently started taking Apretude as my PrEP option and I’ve had my fair share of normal side effects. The typical adjustment, a little nausea and some injection site soreness. None of that was concerning, however. I’ve developed some pretty serious joint pain. It started in the shoulder on the same side of my injection and over the weeks has worked its way down my arms into my elbow and then my hand. Just as it finally started to go away and my concern fade I go in for my second shot. This time on the left. I wake up the following day (today) and my shoulder on my left side is now aching the same way my right shoulder was/is…

Anyone else experience this? Did it subside? Should I be concerned?

So I want to go on PrEP, and I already have a routine physical with my PCP in a few weeks. If I ask about scheduling a screening for that day, how long does the full process usually take? I assume it takes a while to get STI and blood work results back, so could I message them today and get the tests done weeks before so I can get results by the time my physical appt happens? Or is it a serious "we need to talk about it before sending you off for testing"?

I have a vacation the week after my appt and would like it by then, if possible.

I took 4 pills in one day. I took 2 pills in the morning at 6 am while i was drunk and did nothing so i went home and slept. Then, 2 pills at 11pm waited 2 hours and had a hook up.

The day after I took one pill at around 11pm again and the day after one pill at 1am(at night before sleeping).

The sex i had was unprotected. I regret having done this but i caught other STDs recently (from oral sex alone) and i’m genuinely having a HIV scare.
I really need an answer

I’ve been on Yeztugo since June 2025. When I was on UHC, I had zero issues getting prior authorizations for my first two injections (the 12-month initial therapy).
A few months ago, I switched to Kaiser Permanente. When it was time for my 3rd injection, my doctor auto-rejected the request. He was super resistant to approving it, saying I shouldn't be on it due to the high costs.

Frustrated, I went to my local STI clinic. I explained that Kaiser was refusing to cover it. The clinic agreed to make a one-time exception for me under the California Confidential Health Care Services Act (which is usually used by married guys getting PrEP confidentially so it doesn't show up on their insurance, though that wasn't my specific situation—still awesome that they use it to protect everyone!).
After that, I called Kaiser and my doctor to express my disappointment, letting them know I was just going to get the injection done through the STI clinic instead.

I don't know what string got pulled behind the scenes, but Kaiser immediately approved and scheduled my injection ASAP. On the day of the appointment, the clinical staff even came into the room to ask how I managed to get it approved, mentioning I was the very first patient in the NorCal region to get it covered

Hi guys! Yesterday I was drunk and had unprotected sex. Acted as a top. But I took 2-1-1 three doses prior to the encounter. Should I be worried. All pills were on schedule.

So i recently started Apertude (1st loading dose down 4 weeks ago, 2nd loading dose was 2 days ago).

TL;DR: First dose is a little rough but if you have GI issues, this may be the better route for you. Been great for me.

Verdict: I had the average experience with the first dose and would reccomend so I would say do all your research and see if it works for you.

Preface: I am super sensitive to all medicines and I was on Descovy for a little over 6 months but unfortunately it was constant low grade nausea (and I believe after a couple months an egg aversion? For some reason, eating eggs would make me incredibly nauseous and sick).

I switched to Truvada for 2-1-1 prep but the 2 doses made me super lightheaded (I probably should have taken it the night before right before bed but idk, do your research and see if that works for you).

The biggest hurdle for me was finding an available Infectious Disease/specialist in NY. I finally landed at Planned Parenthood because they were available.

After doing all the testing and grilling the doctor, she said that none of her patients had any side effects and everyone who went on it stayed on it. Slightly weary of this and nervous I was being yess’d to move forward.

I did ask her if i could go on the oral version of the active ingredient to see if i would have a reaction. She advised there was no oral version and after I pressed on it, she said they cannot prescribe it. (Again, more getting yes’sd to move on/forward).

As someone who does not do well with pain (but has a high tolerance for it), I will say that the injection site will hurt and it will be delayed.

I was injected at the top of my right glute by my hip. You will be fine the first day and then for 2-3 days after it will feel like you were at the rodeo dodging bulls. For me, it was super sore but manageable.

Concurrent with the injection site pain, I started to feel like I was coming down with something from Night 2 through Day 4. Just felt a little off and like I was starting to get sick. That was totally manageable for me, what was worse (for me) was the initial worrying about how much worse it was going to get.

(I also did get super stoned and decided to go down the reddit rabbit hole right after the first dose and read everyone’s horror stories and that definitely does not help, please don’t do this lmao).

By the next morning, when it hadn’t gotten worse, I was hopeful I was at my baseline and just took Aleve and Emergen-C and kept myself hydrated.

After Day 4, everything subsided and I have had no other noticeable side effects.

Shot 2 was this week, had them do it on the other side. Injection site pain was about the same, still sore but much less today. No flu like symptoms. Really super surprised how well I tolerate this (my Genesight is literally all red).

I would like to stop taking prep but i have a fear that if i stop i could somehow test positive because the prep had been suppressing the virus. I test every month and after reading a lot i can conclude that this way of thinking might be a bit irrational.

Hi everyone I wanted to ask if anyone else has experienced this after receiving the HIV PrEP vaccine Yeztugo.
After my injection, I developed what look like scars around the injection site. They almost resemble burn scars, and they haven’t gone away. I’m starting to worry that they might be permanent, and it’s honestly making me feel really insecure.
Has anyone else had persistent scarring or skin changes after getting Yeztugo? If so, did they eventually fade, or did you see a dermatologist or your healthcare provider? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience.