PREP and sexual and reproductive health services go well together.
- Women seeking contraception may also need HIV prevention;
- People seeking prep may also need contraception;
- People using prep often have syphilis, gonorrhea or other stis on the day that prep is started.
- Lessons learned from contraception about offering choices to increase uptake and impact will serve HIV prevention well.
Couples who desire pregnancy typically do not use condoms. PREP can help them conceive more safely if one partner has HIV, or might have HIV without knowing. A recent study found that nearly half of women who presented for antenatal services and reported a HIV seropositive partner, had a partner whose viral load was not suppressed. That study was done in the United States.
Pietro Vernazza published a pioneering study where they helped couples in serodiscordant couples conceive using prep (and treatment and timed intercourse). Most became pregnant, zero HIV transmission.
Kenya guidelines highlight that that PREP is indicated for safer conception.