Yeahman

Thank you for being a responsible provider for yourself, your parents as well as your beloved clients.

Always safe only. Protected. Wrapped up.

Gotcha. You're going with the belt and suspenders approach. Very sensible.

Always safe only. Protected. Wrapped up.

If I may ask, are you considering using PrEP together with a condom to be extra safe since you only have sex once a year and don't want to take any risks? Or are you considering PrEP so you can have sex without a condom?
 
If it's the latter, risking contracting other STDs, such as herpes, during a once-a-year encounter (presumably with a stranger) seems like an interesting choice to me. Are you taking that risk because it gives you a better sense of intimacy?

When I first leaned about viruses in college biology, they weren’t considered to be living organisms because they didn’t meet all the requirements to satisfy the accepted definition of a life form. Since then, the understanding has changed and viruses are now considered living organisms.

I would love to get Descovy because from what I read it has less side effect than Truvada. But I was told that they are almost identical.

I learned about PrEP a couple of years ago, but didn't want to take it everyday so I never made efforts to get it. I'm not sexually active at all, like only 1 encounter a year on average, therefore, it doesn't make much sense for me to take it on a daily basis.
 
I recently learned about the PrEP 2-1-1 regimen, which suits my need really well since I can take it only when I need it. Therefore, I definitely want it for my next encounter. However, I'm not clear what medication can be used for this 2-1-1 regimen. Is it Truvada? Or is it descovy?
 
Due to this horrible pandemic, I don't feel comfortable visiting any clinic, so I'm trying to learn a little from here.
 
Online search for PrEP 2-1-1 brings up a number of websites, but they don't say what medicine is used for this purpose. If you find better website, please paste the link here.
 
Is anyone here on the PrEP 2-1-1 regimen? Care to educate newbie a bit? Thank you very much!

Thanks for the info, my doc hasn't said a word about this. I remember hearing that Truvada is about to generic, but I didn't hear that Gilead is about to discontinue the assistance program. So far I haven't had to pay for Truvada but since it's about to change I may start the 2-1-1 method.

Wise, wise words. Do not get your medical plans from a message board.

The 2-1-1 method is more commonly used and accepted outside of the US. Many folks abroad say that our use of the daily pill approach is just another example of big pharma making sure that they can sell us more pills.. Not being a medical pro, I can't weigh in on the virtues of one approach versus the other. But as someone who has sex infrequently (twice or three times a month is a good month), I struggle to justify the daily pill regime and required frequent doctor visits.

That’s the other side of the coin. HIV isn’t very contagious but is extremely virulent, killing virtually 100% of its host population.

Yeahman, I encourage you and other forum members to have a physician with whom you can be candid about your sex practices and who is culturally and medically current on gay health issues. It may be more challenging in rural areas and places with smaller gay populations but it matters. I am a bit more adventurous when traveling. It helps to be able to tell your doc what you did (baths, cruising areas, sex parties, and of course rentboys!) so he can advise you on STD tests, whether to get hep vaccines, etc.

i didn't read the other replies; i am sorry if this was answered
it is truvada
i have taken truvada everyday & via the 2-1-1 method & PEP twice (i'll answer any questions)
i tested negative for hiv on 9/14/20
i go on and off truvada for a variety of reasons
there are a lot of politics around truvada (unfortunately/fortunately)
there is a race between the sexual health departments of the major american cities to get new hiv infections to 0% (this is absolutely possible if they can get everyone on PrEP)
there are serious concerns within the medical communities about 2-1-1 confusing patients who are taking truvada daily and it causing doing more harm than good
the inner city systems (doctors, directors, management, etc) have a huge investment of time & energy getting high risk people to take their meds at all (keep in mind they are dealing with a % of people who are having unprotected sex w/ countless people everyday, addicts, struggle with metal health issues, homeless, etc so it skews how they view everyone and treatment for everyone) - if you look at the stats PrEP is working within those communities - this matters for the health of our communities and for funding
notice the talk of a vaccine or cure is basically non existent
hospitals clinics etc told (tell) patients PrEP has no serious side effects this is very controversial and all i will say is check in with the major universities like UCLA and read the reports/clinical studies
i realize some of this is a tangential (sorry), but it is important stuff that is not discussed enough

They are different.
 
The biggest thing being that they metabolize in completely different ways.

As long as you're comfortable doing that and he's receptive, that's awesome ?
 
So many docs don't keep up with where meds have gone (and are going). They're stuck in the 'take two amoxil a day and call the nurse on duty if it gets worse' ideology. That's why- for me- finding not only a gp, but also an infectious disease specialist has been the silver bullet.
 
Now I feel medically well-cared for and as an escort, that's perhaps the most important tool in our arsenal.

I just received a letter from Gilead stating they are discontinuing the Truvada co-pay assistance (in California at least) bcs there is a generic replacement. I have paid zero for my Truvada for a few years now with insurance and Gilead co-pay. Apparently there is a co-pay program for Descovy.
 
I’ve not seen much info on the generic Truvada? My doctor is a bit clueless about my lifestyle, but I like him and it’s fun educating him on these drugs, lol.

COVID is much more contagious than HIV.

And don't forget their are always condoms which also help prevent stds, which prep does not.

If the price comes down to a couple hundred a month I would take PreP but as it is I simply don't fuck often enough to justify >$10,000 a year in healthcare expenditure.
otoh 2-1-1 seems like cutting it a little close to me.

Excuse my ignorance. Could someone explain 2-1-1? Can i take prep just when i have unprotected sex? Do i have to take prep far in advance and after unprotected sex? Is there any over the counter prep? What about pep? Any over the counter pep? When do you take pep?
I lived through the aids crisis and generally avoided intercourse, but now with these pills to protect against hiv, would like to have intercourse. Thx

My experience is similar to Sam. My MD explained 2-1-1 but I don't always plan ahead. Pre-COVID if I heard from a Scruff hookup or FB on short notice I was ready to go with daily. I stopped completely for a long time during the lockdown and will again if there's another outbreak.
 
I don't take any other meds and have experienced no side effects with prep. Having lived through the HIV crisis I recognize the irony of being more worried about COVID than HIV.

@Yeahman - - I've been on Truvada for about two and a half years. When the stay at home orders started, I stopped taking it for a couple of months and after consultation with my physician, I resumed it on the 2-1-1 method prior to taking a trip in late July.
 
For me, I'm a creature of habit and the daily routine works better, so I went back to the daily schedule earlier this month.

Generic Truvada is supposed to be available Sept 30 but I can't seem to find anything about what the price is etc.

https://www.poz.com/article/ondemand-211-prep-prevents-hiv-even-sex-infrequent
 
That said, it's a regime that splits many infectious disease docs: Some will recommend it, some won't. YMMV.
 
There's not an end-all-be-all stance on it.
 
Personally, Descovy for PrEP has almost zero side effects, so taking it on the daily isn't something I'd be all that concerned about. Eventually, there will be something new- and better- along to take its place (likely a longer-term injection from what's being said).