Prepare for your first Yeztugo visit

Possible HIV exposure is time-sensitive. Seek PEP assessment as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours and no later than 72 hours after a qualifying exposure. PEP is a 28-day course of antiretroviral medication used after exposure; it is different from ongoing PrEP. Do not wait for symptoms, a partner’s results, insurance approval or a routine appointment. If a clinic cannot assess you promptly, go to an emergency department or another service able to start PEP.

Tell the service the exact date and time, what happened, any prior PrEP doses and what is known about the source. If sexual assault occurred, urgent care can also address injuries, pregnancy prevention, other infections and support; PEP decisions should not wait for reporting or paperwork.

A baseline HIV test and renal, hepatic, hepatitis, STI or pregnancy testing may be needed. When PEP is indicated, the first dose should not be delayed waiting for laboratory results that are unavailable immediately.

Confirm where the medication will be dispensed, how the full 28-day supply will be obtained and whom to call for side effects or a missed dose. The regimen is selected for age, pregnancy, organ function and interactions.

CDC recommends early contact around 24 hours to check access and tolerance, with clinical/laboratory follow-up at 4–6 and 12 weeks after exposure. Your clinician specifies the HIV antigen/antibody and nucleic-acid tests and any timing adjustments.

Yeztugo is lenacapavir for prevention of sexually acquired HIV-1 in people who do not have HIV. Treatment starts with injections and tablets, then continues with injections about every six months. It can suit someone who prefers fewer medication visits, provided testing and follow-up remain reliable. Twice-yearly medication does not mean twice-yearly attention to every health concern: a new exposure, symptoms, STI screening or a medication change can require contact sooner.

The approved PrEP indication is for adults and adolescents weighing at least 35 kg who are at risk of acquiring HIV through sex. HIV-negative status must be established. Recent exposure, acute viral symptoms, past PrEP/PEP, pregnancy or breastfeeding and all current medicines belong in the evaluation. HIV testing is required before starting and before each injection. A positive or unknown HIV status prevents use as PrEP.

At initiation, a negative antigen/antibody test is confirmed with HIV RNA testing, even if RNA returns after treatment starts. Before continuation, a negative rapid antigen/antibody test requires confirmation with a more sensitive assay. The clinician determines the complete testing approach and reviews symptoms and any ambiguous results.

Provide every prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement. Some strong or moderate CYP3A inducers require additional clinician-directed dosing under the August 2026 label; other starting combinations have no recommended regimen. Your prescriber must review the actual medicines and sequence.

The labeled start includes two subcutaneous injections and oral tablets on the first day, followed by oral tablets the next day. Those tablets are part of required initiation, not an optional tolerability trial. A trained professional administers the injections.

Continuation injections are scheduled every 26 weeks with a two-week allowance on either side. Agree on HIV testing, STI screening and what to do before travel or an access delay.

Do not stop or switch the current PrEP regimen on your own while waiting for a Yeztugo appointment. Ask the prescriber for dated coverage during the transition, required HIV testing and confirmed tablet/injection access. Yeztugo has its own initiation tablets and injection schedule. It is not a substitute for urgent PEP assessment after a possible exposure.

Bring previous HIV and STI results, your current prevention regimen, last injection date if applicable and insurance information. Ask how the next-day tablets will be obtained and how to contact the team if you cannot take them. Confirm medication receipt and testing arrangements before an administration visit. The label describes abdominal injections and an alternative thigh site; the administrator chooses an appropriate site using the current instructions.

At initiation, a negative antigen/antibody test is confirmed with HIV RNA testing, even if RNA returns after treatment starts. Before continuation, a negative rapid antigen/antibody test requires confirmation with a more sensitive assay. The clinician determines the complete testing approach and reviews symptoms and any ambiguous results.

Provide every prescription, over-the-counter medicine and supplement. Some strong or moderate CYP3A inducers require additional clinician-directed dosing under the August 2026 label; other starting combinations have no recommended regimen. Your prescriber must review the actual medicines and sequence.

The labeled start includes two subcutaneous injections and oral tablets on the first day, followed by oral tablets the next day. Those tablets are part of required initiation, not an optional tolerability trial. A trained professional administers the injections.

Continuation injections are scheduled every 26 weeks with a two-week allowance on either side. Agree on HIV testing, STI screening and what to do before travel or an access delay.

Ask separately about tablet coverage, injectable medication coverage, laboratory testing and administration charges. The supply may require authorization and shipment to an administration site. Assistance programs have eligibility rules and do not prove that a particular clinic or insurer participates. Keep a written transition plan while these steps are completed; confirm actual availability before traveling to a listed location.

No. Oral tablets on both initiation days are part of the labeled regimen. Contact your clinician immediately if the second-day tablets are unavailable, missed or vomited; do not improvise replacement doses.

The exact plan must be checked for both formulations, the dispensing route and administration site. Also ask about visits and laboratory charges. Another person’s approval or copay is not a reliable estimate of yours.

A clinician can compare options and make a transition plan based on HIV results, last doses, exposure and interactions. Keep the existing prevention plan until you receive explicit instructions; changing products without coordination can leave a gap.

Yeztugo was highly effective in the PURPOSE trials, but protection is not guaranteed. At the primary analysis, PURPOSE 1 recorded no HIV infections among 2,134 participants receiving Yeztugo. PURPOSE 2 recorded two among 2,179. In PURPOSE 2, the reduction was 96% compared with estimated background HIV incidence and 89% compared with daily Truvada. Those comparisons are different. Additional infections were found after the primary analyses. Complete initiation, on-time injections and HIV testing remain essential, even when trial results show very high protection.

Clinical trials support Yeztugo as a PrEP option, but it has risks and may not suit everyone. Common adverse reactions include injection-site reactions, headache and nausea. The most important warning is drug resistance if it is used during undetected HIV infection. HIV testing is required before starting and before every injection. Tell the clinician about recent exposures, flu-like symptoms and every medicine or supplement. Drug interactions need review, including after stopping: lenacapavir may remain for 12 months or longer. If injections stop and HIV risk continues, agree on alternative PrEP before protection declines.