PrEP and Partying: What You Need to Know About Drinking and Drug Use on PrEP

Are you taking PrEP for HIV prevention and wondering if a night at the club is going to affect your medication? Or are you someone interested in getting on PrEP but nervous about how it might interact with other drugs? We got your back, with all the answers that will keep the party going and keep you protected. 

PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medication taken by people who do not have HIV to reduce their risk of acquiring it. PrEP is available as daily pills and long-acting injections. Alcohol and recreational drugs do not directly cancel out the HIV-prevention effects of PrEP, but substance use can create other challenges. 

For most people taking oral PrEP, drinking alcohol does not cause a drug interaction with the medication. The bigger concern is whether drinking makes it harder to take PrEP consistently. Missing doses can reduce protection, particularly when PrEP is being used as a daily pill. Research involving people using alcohol and other substances has found that substance use was not necessarily associated with a lower likelihood of forgetting to take PrEP, although individual experiences vary.

Other recreational drugs, including stimulants such as methamphetamine, do not automatically make PrEP ineffective. However, drug use can affect judgment and sexual decision-making. Studies have found higher rates of sexually transmitted infections among some people who use stimulants, which may reflect increased sexual risk rather than PrEP failing to work. PrEP protects against HIV, but it does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections.

People who inject drugs can also use PrEP to reduce their risk of HIV. In this situation, PrEP should be combined with other harm-reduction measures, such as using sterile injection equipment, because PrEP does not prevent hepatitis C or other infections associated with injection drug use.

The key point is that alcohol or recreational drug use is not, by itself, a reason to stop or avoid PrEP. If substance use makes taking medication difficult, or if you take other prescription or non-prescription drugs, it is important to tell your healthcare provider. They can check for specific interactions and help choose a PrEP option that fits your situation.

About MISTR

MISTR is a gay-owned and operated online platform that brings together doctors, pharmacists, and industry minds to provide resources and PrEP to folks in need. Instead of relying on insurance providers to approve the purchase of PrEP, MISTR cuts out the middleman to help people get their prescriptions covered.

The post PrEP and Partying: What You Need to Know About Drinking and Drug Use on PrEP appeared first on LBS.