You may decide that you want to stop PrEP if you are in a period of your life when you are not at risk for HIV. For guidance on how to stop PrEP safely, see this article.

But what if your doctor recommends you stop PrEP? In the PrEP Facts group, we sometimes hear that a doctor has recommended stopping Truvada because of symptoms the doctor suspects may be side effects.

According to the CDC Clinical Practice Guideline, there are only two medical reasons for stopping Truvada for PrEP:

1. You acquired HIV and have been diagnosed as HIV-positive.
2. You had two consecutive lab tests showing a creatinine clearance value lower than 60.

Note: Creatinine clearance levels can fluctuate for reasons having nothing to do with kidney health (see this related article), so it is not recommended to stop PrEP based on a single lab test result.

If your medical provider wants you to stop PrEP for a different reason and you would like to continue, you can suggest that your provider discuss your situation with the CDC PrEP Consultation Service for Clinicians.

Note: If you are unable to take Truvada because of low creatinine clearance, you may be able to take Descovy instead. Ask your healthcare provider. CDC has not yet released a clinical practice guideline for Descovy for PrEP, but the FDA-approved prescribing information indicates that Descovy is safe for individuals with a creatinine clearance of 30 or higher.

To Learn More About Creatinine and Creatinine Clearance

Read this article.