Since its introduction in the 1990s, the main aim of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV has been to halt the progression of the infection, maintaining the health of the HIV-positive person taking treatment. In addition to this, the impact of treatment as prevention has been well described.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published clinical practice guidelines on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV. In EU, most countries lack implementation data and formal licensure and guidelines.

The use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an HIV prevention strategy, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) as well as other population groups at higher risk of HIV infection, has been receiving more and more attention during 2014. Preliminary results of clinical trials and research studies suggest that it could be an effective HIV prevention tool for Europe.

The results of two clinical studies, PROUD and IPERGAY, suggests that the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men (MSM) is an effective HIV prevention tool for Europe.