BY: Nick Fulton
Published 2 hours ago
“PrEP belly” has taken over our timelines. If you’ve never heard the term before, it’s basically what some people call the bloating or stomach discomfort some users feel after starting PrEP. For some people early in their prevention journeys or considering taking PrEP, these horror stories might not feel the most encouraging. Long story short, you have nothing to worry about.
The Side Effects Everyone is Talking About
The thing is, most medications can come with side effects, and PrEP is no different. Some people feel nauseous at first, some feel a little bloated, and some don’t notice anything at all.
Usually, those symptoms calm down after the first few weeks once your body gets used to it. But social media has a way of making every side effect sound terrifying. One viral TikTok can suddenly make people think everyone on PrEP is dealing with major body changes, which just isn’t true.
In interview with Them, Rona Vail, Associate Medical Director of HIV services at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center said “It is true that a small percent of folks are intolerant to the medications and can have continued side effects, in which case we would switch them to a different form of PrEP, but someone who is taking oral PrEP and not having side effects will not develop physical changes to the appearance of their ‘belly.’”
What doesn’t get talked about enough is how important PrEP still is. It’s one of the best tools we have for HIV prevention, and for a lot of people it provides real peace of mind. That’s why having access to actual medical professionals, instead of random internet opinions, matters so much.
Making Care Less Stressful
That’s part of why services like Mistr have become so popular. A lot of people don’t want to sit in a waiting room explaining their sex life to a stranger or deal with judgment when they’re just trying to take care of themselves. Mistr makes the process way easier. You can do everything online, talk to licensed providers, get tested, and have your medication shipped directly to you. It feels a lot more private and low-stress than the traditional route.
And if you do experience side effects, you’re not stuck trying to figure it out alone. You can actually ask questions, talk through options, and decide what works best for your body. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking the medication with food or changing your routine a little. Other times, people switch medications. The point is, there are options.
At the end of the day, everyone reacts differently to medication. Some people deal with temporary side effects, some never notice anything, and some feel completely normal after a week or two. But avoiding HIV prevention because of scary internet comments probably isn’t the move.
People are finally having open conversations about sexual health without as much shame attached to it. That’s a good thing. And platforms like Mistr are helping make those conversations, and the healthcare itself, way more accessible for people who might’ve avoided it before.
About Mistr
Mistr is a gay-owned and operated online platform that brings together doctors, pharmacists, and industry minds to provide resources and PrEP to folks in need. Instead of relying on insurance providers to approve the purchase of PrEP, Mistr cuts out the middleman to help people get their prescriptions covered.
