Myth or Truth: Will PrEP Really Make a Difference?

Editor's Note: There are, unfortunately, many myths going around about pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP  — the use of an antiretroviral drug by HIV-negative people to prevent them from being infected with HIV during sex. This month we’ll look at one myth per day and offer evidence why it’s not true.

Myth: PrEP won’t make a difference in the number of new HIV infections.

Truth: The World Health Organization used modeling to predict that a 20 to 25 percent reduction in new infections among men who have sex with men could be achieved by increasing the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis. That translates to a reduction in 1 million new infections in just this population over the next decade. Providing PrEP to key populations alongside education and other prevention methods could greatly reduce the number of infections worldwide.