HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is the use of antiretroviral medications to prevent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. PrEP is safe and highly effective at preventing HIV transmission when taken as prescribed.

PrEP is different to PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) – PrEP needs to be taken as recommended BEFORE a potential exposure to HIV, whereas PEP is taken within 72 hours AFTER a possible exposure to HIV.

For more information about PrEP or HIV visit:

Accessing PrEP

To access PrEP in South Australia, you first need to make an appointment at a general practice or sexual health clinic.

Any doctor or nurse practitioner can prescribe PrEP, but if you want to see one who is experienced in prescribing PrEP then visit the following websites to find a PrEP prescriber near you:

At the appointment you will discuss with your doctor or nurse practitioner whether PrEP is right for you, and you will also need some health checks before a prescription for PrEP will be offered to you.

Once you have a prescription, there are a few ways that you can get it filled:

  1. Community pharmacy: Any community pharmacy can fill a valid prescription for PrEP. If you have a current Medicare card, this will be at a subsidised price through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
  2. Online pharmacy: Whether you have a Medicare card or not, there are a number of overseas or Australian online pharmacies that can dispense PrEP, at a cost, as long as you have a valid prescription. For more information visit the PrEP Access Now website.

Free PrEP if you don’t have Medicare

If you live in South Australia and don’t have a Medicare card, you may be able to get free HIV PrEP through the Adelaide Sexual Health Centre.

Who can access free PrEP?

You may be able to access free PrEP if you:

  • do not have Medicare
  • are living in South Australia
  • are at risk of HIV
  • are assessed by a clinician as suitable for PrEP

You may be able to access free PrEP if you are an international student,temporary visa holder, are on a working holiday visa, are seeking asylum, or do not have Medicare for other reasons.

You do not need to know for sure whether PrEP is right for you before contacting the Adelaide Sexual Health Centre. A nurse or doctor can talk with you about your options.

This program is funded by the Australian Government.

For more information contact Adelaide Sexual Health Centre.

U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable)

The risk of acquiring HIV from any exposure involving a person known to have HIV is dependent on the amount of virus they have in their body (their HIV viral load).

People living with HIV who are on effective antiretroviral treatment medications and maintain an undetectable viral load, cannot sexually transmit HIV. This is known as treatment as prevention or U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable). An undetectable viral load also significantly reduces the risk of transmission of HIV via injecting and breastfeeding.

For further information about U=U: