[jschwartzi]

There are side-effects of PrEP for long-term use. It can cause kidney damage. So it's not an entirely risk-free magic pill.

It's still much safer to only have sex while in a monagamous relationship where you and your partner have been tested for HIV. And checking test results before having sex with someone is also a very safe practice that is really common. But in the end if you're often sleeping with people who you don't trust, PrEP can be worth the risk.

[chimeracoder]

> It's still much safer to only have sex while in a monagamous relationship where you and your partner have been tested for HIV. And checking test results before having sex with someone is also a very safe practice that is really common. But in the end if you're often sleeping with people who you don't trust, PrEP can be worth the risk.

Please stop spreading anti-PrEP misinformation.

Statistically, it is literally safer to be on PrEP and have multiple partners of unknown status than it is to be in a monogamous relationship and not be on PrEP.

[jschwartzi]

Actually I've been googling around since you've said this, and I can find WHO and CDC booklets indicating that PrEP is generally safe. In fact, the WHO indicates that PrEP is as safe as placebo in the populations that have been studied.

http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/197906/WHO_H...

It's interesting because some of the gay men I spoke with about PrEP seemed to think there were significant risks of kidney damage from long-term use. I wonder where they got their information from.

[thisiszilff]

There is risk for some men, but at least here, you go in regularlynfor checkups to ensure there are no problems. Only a small number have the side effects, and these discontinue treatment.