DAP Health
PrEP Offers Women a Powerful Tool for HIV Prevention
For more than a decade, PrEP has transformed HIV prevention for gay and bisexual men, as well as for trans women. Yet many cisgender straight and bisexual women still don’t realize the medication is available to—and useful for—them. Public-health messaging has historically focused most heavily on gay and bisexual men, even though PrEP was never intended exclusively for one gender or sexual orientation.
That gap matters. Women accounted for about one in five U.S. HIV diagnoses in 2024. Among women, heterosexual contact is the predominant reported transmission category, and Black women continue to experience a disproportionately high share of diagnoses—disparities linked to unequal access to health care, testing, prevention, and other structural conditions.
PrEP, short for pre-exposure prophylaxis, is medication taken before a possible HIV exposure. When taken or administered as prescribed, it reduces the risk of getting HIV through sex by more than 99%. Today, women can choose between daily oral medication and long-acting injectable options, allowing patients and clinicians to select an approach based on health needs, pregnancy plans, privacy, cost, and lifestyle.
For DAP Health Nurse Practitioner of Sexual Wellness Anna Daymon, one of PrEP’s biggest advantages for women is control. A woman may not know a partner’s complete sexual or drug-use history, whether a partner has been tested recently, or whether a relationship’s monogamy agreement has always been honored. PrEP provides protection that does not depend entirely on another person’s disclosure or willingness to use condoms.
“Taking PrEP is one of the most empowering decisions you can make as a woman,” Daymon says. “It gives you peace of mind, helps you break free from fear, and lets you live—and love—with confidence.”
PrEP can also be considered during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and while trying to conceive. Daily oral PrEP has the longest and most extensive safety record in these settings, while some injectable options may also be appropriate depending on the medication and individual circumstances. A clinician can help patients weigh the choices.
Before starting PrEP, patients are tested for HIV and receive other recommended screening. DAP Health’s sexual wellness clinics provide free initial and follow-up PrEP visits and lab work, and PrEP navigators can help patients understand insurance, financial assistance, and medication options.
To speak with a DAP Health PrEP navigator, call 760.607.6011 or visit DAPHealth.org.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 1, 2026
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