Clinical information
Common uses
- HIV-1 treatment (with other antiretrovirals)
- pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV-1
Common side effects
- diarrhoea and nausea
- fatigue, headache and dizziness
- depression, insomnia and abnormal dreams
- rash
- headache, abdominal pain, weight loss (PrEP users)
Cautions
- boxed warning: hepatitis B can flare severely after stopping
- boxed warning: confirm HIV-negative status before PrEP use
- kidney problems including acute renal failure
- bone mineral density can decrease
Interactions
- didanosine (levels rise — dose reduction and monitoring needed)
- atazanavir (must be given with ritonavir)
- some HIV protease inhibitors and hepatitis C drugs (raise tenofovir)
- nephrotoxic drugs (avoid concurrent use)
Pregnancy: observational studies show no increased risk of major birth defects
Reference information, not medical advice — always follow your doctor or pharmacist. Source: DailyMed, dailymed.nlm.nih.gov, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate label, setid 41bd03ea-b92e-459c-968b-c9095ae90aef (accessed 2026-08-16)