The bad outweighs the good?

[Holden101]

We've all heard stories of people who have had kidney, liver and bone density issues while using Truvada/PrEP, but there are other reasons to stay away from this drug.  After approximately six months of using this drug to prevent HIV, I noticed my face was changing.  My cheeks were sinking in.  A type of facial atrophy.  I had always associated this look with men with AIDS, and now I was beginning to look like I had the disease as well.  Upon further study, I found this is a side-effect for many people, as well as fat being displaced in other areas of a person's body.  For example, weight around the midsection becomes harder and more dense and more difficult to lose.

It's bad enough to risk your internal organs, but to end up looking sick when you're not is not something I'm willing to do.  Guys, please think of the risks and what could happen to you if you take this medicine.  I stopped taking the medication.  I'll use condoms.  I'm not going to kill or disfigure myself with this horrible drug when it's supposed to save my life, not break my body down and leave me looking diseased.

[CurfewX]

Every medication has benefits and side effects.  Kudos to you for choosing to wear condoms, because they also protect against many other STDs (that PrEP will not).   Everyone needs to weigh out the pluses and minuses of taking PrEP, and it's good that you brought up the potential downsides, as many may not know.

However, if a person cannot, for whatever reason, trust themselves to use condoms, or if a person is going to freak out about HIV after every instance of intercourse (even if protected), PrEP is an alternative worth considering.