non-nuke – a common term for NNRTI.
Glossary
Selected words and phrases
On-demand dosing – a term for taking medicines only at times linked to a relevant event.
On-demand dosing for PrEP is also called “event-based dosing” (EBD).
For example, on-demand dosing for PrEP (to prevent HIV transmission) involves taking PrEP before sex and then for several days after sex.
For many years, on-demand dosing referred to 2:1:1 dosing. This was an option for cisgender gay and bisexual men using PrEP. This involves starting with a double dose (two pills), taken 24 to 2 hours before sex, and then single daily doses for the two days after sex.
In 2025, UK (BASHH) and European (EACS) PrEP guidelines included 2:7 on-demand dosing for cisgender women and for transgender and non-binary people.
viral load – the amount of virus in a sample of blood or other fluid. With HIV this is commonly the amount of HIV in a millilitre (mL) of blood. See viral load test.
Q12H (or q12H) – an abbreviated term for timing medication doses.
q8H means every 8 hours.This is not the same as three times a day (tid or TD).
q12H means every 12 hours. This is not the same as twice-daily (bid or BD).
q24H means every 24 hours. This is not the same as once-daily (qd or QD).
inhibition (in the liver) – refers to the body processing a drug more slowly by inhibiting (or reducing) the enzymes that clear the drug. This leads to higher drug levels.