CNWL

Sexual Health Services
in London and Surrey

PrEP

This page contains information about what PrEP is, who it’s for, and how to book an appointment, whether you’re a new or returning PrEP patient.

 
View our Quick Guide to PrEP.

PrEP key facts

  1. PrEP is a medication taken by people who are HIV-negative to stop them contracting HIV. It is up to 99% effective when taken correctly.
  1. PrEP works by stopping the HIV virus from entering the cells in your body that it uses to reproduce itself. In this way, if you are taking PrEP correctly and you’re exposed to HIV, it can’t become established in you body. 
  1. PrEP is for anyone at increased risk of acquiring HIV. Examples of types of people who may be at increased risk of acquiring HIV include:
  • Men who have sex with men
  • Trans women and non-binary people
  • If you or your partner/s come from countries with relatively high rates of HIV. You can find a list of countries considered to have high rates of HIV at the bottom of the page at this link.
  • Women and other people whose partner is a man who has sex with men
  • People who inject chems or party drugs, and share needles
  • Sex workers
  • People whose partner is HIV positive and are having condomless sex, unless their partner has been on HIV treatment for 6 months and their viral load is ‘undetectable’ (<200)

This list is not intended to cover everyone who can benefit from PrEP so if you are concerned you may be at increased risk of acquiring HIV and would like to discuss starting PrEP, please book an appointment following the instructions below.

  1. PrEP is flexible, and can be taken daily or as and when you need it (‘on demand’). Take PrEP daily to provide coverage against HIV anytime, anywhere; or you can take PrEP ‘on-demand’ (also called ‘event-based’ or ‘2-1-1’ dosing) if you know when you’re going to have sex. For more information about on-demand dosing, click here 
  1. PrEP only protects you against HIV. If you want to significantly reduce your risk of acquiring other sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis, use condoms. PrEP can be used alongside condoms some or all of the time. For a wide selection of condoms at excellent prices, click here 

 Further information and guides on PrEP are available from i-base

 

Book a PrEP appointment - London PrEP services 

Appointments to start or continue PrEP treatment are available at Mortimer Market Centre (Camden), Archway Centre (Islington), and Edgware Community Hospital (Barnet).

You can self-book an appointment to start or continue PrEP at Mortimer Market Centre, Archway Centre and Edgware Community Hospital online. If you can’t see any appointments available, please keep checking, or call the central booking office on 020 3317 5252. If you are having problems booking a PrEP appointment please email cnwl.prepuserfeedback@nhs.net with your name and a phone number you are happy to be contacted on, and a member of staff will get back to you.  

Phone lines are open Monday to Friday between 8.45am to 12.00pm.  If you need to cancel your appointment please email CNWL.Sexualhealth-cancelappointment@nhs.net. This email address is for cancellation of appointments only. 

Surrey PrEP services

If you live in Surrey and would like to start PrEP or need a repeat prescription, call us for an appointment on 01483 675389, Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

What is PrEP? And how does it work?

Our Specialty Registrar Dr Arthur Wong explains exactly how PrEP works and the benefits of taking the medication