Are you looking to get on PrEP?
By Nick and Jarucha "Oh" Janmekha Hi! I’m Nick, and I’m the Nurse at Maple Leaf PrEP Clinic. I am thrilled to be writing my first blog post for ACAS. Over the years, I have received many questions about taking PrEP, so I’ve gathered all of the most commonly asked questions that you might have when considering whether or not you might want to start taking PrEP. First of all, what is PrEP? Simply put, PrEP is a pill you can take, where, if you take it daily and you happen to be exposed to HIV while you’re taking it, it will prevent you from becoming HIV positive. It is over 99% effective and is credited as a major reason why HIV rates have been dropping in recent years. Is PrEP covered by OHIP? Yes and no. In Ontario PrEP is fully covered by OHIP until the day you turn 25, after that OHIP no longer covers the cost of PrEP. The full cost of PrEP can be very expensive, but almost nobody actually pays this. There are so many clinic programs and insurance options now, so when people are on PrEP they’re able to get it for an affordable price or for free. It’s important to know that these programs also exist for people who don’t have OHIP. What are the steps to getting PrEP? Step one is to connect with a PrEP clinic. You don’t need a referral for these clinics, if you’re coming to my clinic all you need to do is either walk in or just email us (PrEP@mlmedical.com) and say you want to be on PrEP! Once you’re linked to a clinic, you’ll be asked to do some bloodwork and STI testing. When your lab results are in, you’ll have an [...]
