About PrEP
As with any health decision, it is important to weigh the risks and benefits of PrEP prior to starting. Our providers are happy to work with you so you can make an informed decision about how best to protect yourself from HIV.
- The One-Step PrEP team is made up of expert pharmacist providers who created the first pharmacy run PrEP clinic in the nation.
- As leaders in the industry, we are constantly adapting, improving, and innovating.
- One-Step PrEP is judgment free, stigma free, and comprehensive PrEP care available to Washington state residents.
- As pharmacist providers, we can provide comprehensive care that includes your labs, consultation, and medication management.
- We will coordinate patient assistance to make sure are enrolled in everything you need to get PrEP at no cost.
- 99% of patients pay $0 for all labs, visits, AND medications.
PrEP is recommended for people who want to protect themselves from an HIV infection. Talk to a One-Step PrEP™ provider to see if PrEP is right for you.
99% of our patients pay $0 for their labs, consultations, AND medications. There are many patient assistance programs available to ensure you don’t have to pay to prevent HIV. Our expert team members will help you along every step of the way to ensure you are enrolled in everything that you need.
In most cases, PrEP is covered by insurance. As insurance can be tricky, you may have a copay, deductibles or co-insurance that you will be responsible for. Our expert team members will help you enroll in patient assistance programs to bring your part down to $0.
Not a problem! Many of our patients do not have insurance. There are many patient assistance programs out there to help you pay for PrEP even if you don’t have insurance. Our expert team members will help you along every step of the way to ensure you are enrolled in everything that you need to get PrEP at no cost.
PrEP is very well tolerated and few people have problems. Less than 10% of people can experience upset stomach, headache, or loss of appetite when beginning PrEP. These side effects usually do not last long and often go away completely within the first month of treatment. Talk to a One-Step PrEP provider to see if you have questions about side effects.
There is no need to feel guilty! Missing one dose of PrEP does not mean you will contract HIV. Skip the missed dose and return back to your normal dosing schedule. We do not recommend doubling up on doses, as this can make you feel sick and is not necessary. If you miss multiple days in a row, it is important you let us know so we can continue to evaluate your HIV protection.
PrEP is recommended if you remain at risk for contracting HIV. During our appointments, we will help you evaluate your need for PrEP.
We want you to be safe and healthy, but we also want you to continue on PrEP if you need it! You can attend virtual appointments and receive your medication through the mail to minimize exposure. We are evaluating the need for labs on a case-by-case basis.
Truvada and Descovy are antiviral medications which prevent HIV from causing infection in your immune cells. When taken consistently and appropriately and with other safe sex practices, they both can reduce risk of HIV infection by up to 99%.
Truvada and Descovy are different variations of the same antiviral medications. Mostly Truvada and Descovy differ in terms of side effects and health conditions that are important to monitor for during long term use. Additionally, Truvada is now available as a generic medication while Descovy is brand name only. This can affect how insurance companies cover each medication.
This includes one on one visits with a medical provider, labs and prescription medication. You should be able to access all of these aspects of care without copays if you live in Washington.
This depends on what type of PrEP you are using! Typically if you are taking PrEP pills, you should take them once a day every day to maintain protection from HIV. There are options for “on-demand” PrEP with Truvada and long acting injectable PrEP. If you have questions on how you should be taking your PrEP, please give us a call!
Please either fill out a new patient inquiry form by clicking the “Start PrEP” button. If you fill out a new patient inquiry form, you can expect a call or email from us within 1-2 weeks. You can also expedite the process by calling us directly at (206) 641-7766 and ask to schedule a new patient PrEP appointment. We will gather information from you including demographics, insurance situation, and get you scheduled for an initial 1 hour long appointment with one of our providers.
This depends on what type of PrEP you are taking! Typically, people have protection again HIV within 1-3 weeks of starting on PrEP.
HIV PrEP does NOT protect against other STIs. We incorporate regular STI screening (every 2-3 months) into our PrEP visits to ensure STIs are detected early and treated quickly. Our providers can also preventative medicines and vaccines to reduce risk of STIs when appropriate.
Absolutely! Just let us know if you would like to stop PrEP so we can ensure you are stopping safely.
For In-Person One-Step PrEP®
We have two clinic locations, our Capitol Hill location on Pine and Bellevue and our First Hill location on 7th and Madison
You do need to make an appointment to start PrEP with us. We are generally able to get folks in for an initial appointment in about 2 weeks. Please give us a call at (206) 641-7766!
This is a great question that depends a lot on your current goals with PrEP, your past medical history, and your health insurance situation. We will provide all options for PrEP and discuss pros and cons during your first visit with us.
Initial visits are about 1 hour long where you will work one-on-one with a provider to discuss medical history, sexual history, collect labs (a rapid HIV test via finger poke, a blood draw, and self collected STI screening), and discussion of the different types of PrEP available. Most people leave their appointment with a bottle of PrEP to start that same day or with an appointment to start on injectable PrEP within a few weeks.
Please bring your ID and insurance card (if you have one!). Arriving 10 minutes early to your first appointment will give you time to complete some paperwork and get you out within an hour.
One-step is all it takes. Our pharmacist providers will take care of everything you need for complete care during your appointment.
How we work with you:
- First, answer a few questions for us.
- Then, keep an eye on your email and phone, as our clinical coordinator will contact you to set up an appointment.
Your pharmacist provider will draw your labs during your PrEP appointment. No need to visit a separate lab facility.
For One-Step TelePrEP
One Step TelePrEP with Kelley-Ross has a mission of allowing you to get PrEP your way through minimizing barriers and providing transparency. You can get PrEP quickly and confidentially. Get started today!
How we work with you:
- First, answer a few questions for us.
- Then, keep an eye on your email and phone, as our clinical coordinator will contact you to set up a virtual appointment and send out any necessary sampling materials.
- Finally, you will have your virtual appointment with a PrEP provider who will issue a prescription if PrEP looks like the best option for you.
You can get your labs done either through the use of an at-home testing kit or an in-person lab draw.
At-home testing kits are recommended for our patients who are not close to a lab or our clinic or who prefer to stay home for testing. People testing at home should feel comfortable with poking their own finger. Alternatively, some patients are more comfortable going to a lab to complete the blood testing. If this describes you, that’s okay too! We recommend going to a lab or our clinic for patients who do not want to do any fingerstick testing. Patients who choose this option will still need to collect a few samples that do not require blood.
We value your privacy and understand the content you share with us during appointments can be sensitive. Our Zoom service is HIPPA-compliant and has several features disabled to prevent any content from being saved. To prevent “zoom-bombing,” we use the waiting room feature to stop unwanted attendees and lock the meeting after you enter to keep the meeting private through the duration of the session.
We do not currently use online booking for appointments. For ease of scheduling and streamlined communication, we will schedule your appointment and obtain all necessary intake information during our initial phone call. Follow-up appointments are scheduled during your in-clinic or virtual visit with a pharmacist provider. Most importantly, our schedule is flexible! If you need to change an appointment, just let us know by sending us a secure message.
We can send e-prescriptions for PrEP pills to most pharmacies in Washington. Additionally, some insurance plans allow us to mail your PrEP to your home directly. Currently, injectable PrEP is only available in-clinic, meaning if you opt for this type of PrEP, you will need to see us in person for appointments.
Frequency and cadence of testing with virtual PrEP is the same as our in-clinic PrEP service. You will need to get HIV and STI testing at least every 3 months.
We are available most business hours Monday-Friday by phone to answer questions, triage concerns, and provide care outside of our formal virtual PrEP follow up appointments. Please give us a call if you have questions or need help!
Questions on APRETUDE® or Long Acting Injectable PrEP
If you are interested in starting on long acting injectable PrEP, it is best for you to call us and discuss it with one of our associates. A big determinant of getting on LAI PrEP is insurance coverage. This is a high cost medication and some insurance plans may not cover it. Prior to starting on LAI PrEP, we must do a benefits inquiry through your insurance. This process typically takes a few weeks.
Your first two appointments will be 1 month apart, all appointments after that will be every two months for on time injections. You will have a target date for your injection which is the same calendar of each month (set by the date you receive your first injection). As long as you receive your injection within a week of that target date (either a week before or a week after), your injection is considered on time. We must do HIV testing at every appointment, other STI screening will be offered at every appointment but only required every 4 months.
LAI PrEP is an injectable medication. It is a 3 mL injection that goes into your upper hip muscle. Many people experience local side effects after injections, especially the first 1-3 injections. Common complaints include muscle soreness, limitation of motion, and flu like symptoms. Typically these side effects get better with later injections but not always. Other things that are important for you to discuss with your provider include LAI PrEP’s impact on the liver, mental health, and potential long term risk for resistant HIV infection if injections are stopped or not completed on time.
Currently, Apretude is an injectable medication which is available name brand only (no generic version is available or sold in the US). It is very expensive. Many insurances will cover the cost of Apretude as a preventative medication, but every insurance plan is different. Our team will help determine if your insurance covers this medication before getting you started on it. If you are uninsured, there are options for getting the cost of the medication covered.
Still have questions about One-Step PrEP® or One-Step TelePrEP?
Send us a secure message through the form below and we’ll get back to you ASAP.