PrEP (HIV Prevention)
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.
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 online to start or continue PrEP at each of the clinics below.
- Mortimer Market Centre - Click here to book an appointment
- Archway Centre - Click here to book an appointment
- Edgware Community Hospital - Click here to book an appointment
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. Please press option 2 for sexual health services. The Booking Office is open Monday to Friday, 9.15am to 12pm and 1.30pm to 4pm. Closed in the afternoon on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday.
PrEP key facts
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- Gay, bisexual and other 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.
- 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
- 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
More information about PrEP is available via our Quick Guide to PrEP and the i-base ‘UK Guide to PrEP’.
You can also read the Quick guide to PrEP leaflet in Spanish here and Portuguese here.
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
