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pre-exposure prophylaxis
noun
variants
or less commonly preexposure prophylaxis
: a preventive treatment for HIV infection in which antiretroviral drugs are taken by an uninfected person who is at a high risk of contracting HIV
In some quarters, the idea that healthy gay men should take a medication to prevent infection—an approach called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP—has met with hostility or indifference.—David Tuller
—abbreviation PrEP
Examples of pre-exposure prophylaxis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
PrEP uptake, 2017-2022 The usage of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, among Black and Latino people in the U.S. has doubled over the past five years but still lags that of whites.
—Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 18 Mar. 2023
But usage of PrEP, which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis, has remained low.
—Dallas News, 15 Feb. 2023
The drug was developed by AstraZeneca as pre-exposure prophylaxis for COVID.
—Carla Delgado, Verywell Health, 8 Feb. 2023
The guidelines also restrict donations from people taking medications to prevent HIV infection such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2023
Volunteers were enrolled in the trial only after they were offered HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, the antiretroviral drugs that can prevent infection.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 18 Jan. 2023
Lots of young women here start PrEP (short for pre-exposure prophylaxis).
—Stephanie Nolen, New York Times, 27 Sep. 2022
That puts some of the key tools in the fight against HIV in jeopardy: early detection, as well as access to PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis.
—Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 9 Feb. 2023
The clients set aside 30 percent of their income and agree to take PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, the once-a-day pill that protects users against HIV infection, with a goal of living on their own.
—Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pre-exposure prophylaxis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
2005, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of pre-exposure prophylaxis was
in 2005
Dictionary Entries Near pre-exposure prophylaxis
Cite this Entry
“Pre-exposure prophylaxis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pre-exposure%20prophylaxis. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Medical Definition
pre-exposure prophylaxis
noun
variants
also preexposure prophylaxis
plural pre-exposure prophylaxes also preexposure prophylaxes
: a preventative treatment for infections or diseases (such as HIV or rabies) that involves administering one or more drugs to an uninfected person who is at a high risk of exposure to a particular pathogen
Although preventing rabies in dogs is the most cost-effective way of preventing human rabies deaths, pre-exposure prophylaxis is valuable for people at a high disease risk, particularly in areas where controlling disease in the animal reservoir is difficult or has not been implemented and in areas where access to postexposure prophylaxis and rabies immunoglobulin is unreliable or nonexistent.—Jocelyn A. Kessels et al., Bulletin of the World Health Organization
—abbreviation PrEP
compare post-exposure prophylaxis
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