3 steps to HIV PrEP: A simple guide

October 13, 2026
Provided by AAFP partner
3-step PrEP guide highlighting routine HIV prevention, CDC recommendations, and PrEP’s ~99% effectiveness.

Despite advances in HIV prevention, new HIV diagnoses continue to occur across the United States, and many individuals at a higher likelihood of acquiring HIV are not receiving preventive interventions.1,2 Family physicians are uniquely positioned to close this gap by integrating HIV prevention into routine primary care.3 However, barriers such as limited visit time, uncertainty about eligibility, and complexity of initiating and monitoring PrEP (HIV pre‑exposure prophylaxis) can lead to missed opportunities for care.4 This results in inconsistent PrEP uptake and continued risk for preventable HIV transmission.4

The “3 steps to PrEP” infographic is a practical guide designed to simplify and normalize PrEP delivery in family medicine. It provides a clear, streamlined framework that guides clinicians through 3 essential phases: confirming PrEP readiness, selecting the appropriate PrEP option, and incorporating follow‑up care into routine workflows.

Step 1 focuses on initiating a proactive PrEP conversation with all sexually active adolescents and adults, consistent with CDC guidance, and completing baseline evaluations such as HIV testing, STI screening, renal function assessment, and hepatitis B serology when indicated.

Step 2 highlights the availability of multiple FDA‑approved PrEP options, including daily oral and long‑acting injectable options, enabling clinicians to engage in shared decision‑making based on patient preferences, lifestyle, and clinical suitability.

Step 3 highlights how follow‑up care can be integrated into existing clinical workflows, aligning with routine preventive health visits and management of common conditions. It emphasizes ongoing monitoring for HIV, STIs, and medication safety, as well as the use of electronic health record templates to streamline ordering and tracking.

By streamlining this information into one clear 3‑step visual, this resource helps family physicians reduce barriers to PrEP integration and embed HIV prevention within routine care. It enhances clinician confidence, supports efficient workflows, and broadens knowledge about PrEP, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes and efforts to end the HIV epidemic.

View the infographic

Company website:  https://www.askgileadmedical.com​

  1. 1.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Diagnoses, Deaths, and Prevalence. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv-data/nhss/hiv-diagnoses-deaths-prevalence.html​

  2. 2.

    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Prevention of Acquisition of HIV: Preexposure Prophylaxis. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/prevention-of-human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection-pre-exposure-prophylaxis​

  3. 3.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinicians’ Quick Guide: What Is HIV PrEP? (Publication No. 301168). https://www.cdc.gov/hivnexus/media/pdfs/2024/04/cdc-lsht-prevention-brochure-clinicians-quick-guide-what-is-hiv-prep.pdf​

  4. 4.

    Traylor DO, Enriquez M, Thompson‑Robinson M, Yu M, Bloom T, Bullock L. Barriers and Facilitators That Influence HIV Pre‑exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)-Prescribing Behaviors Among Primary Care Providers in the Southern United States. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11399752/​

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