All You Need to Know about HIV PEP

There are cases of an emergency when you do not if you have been exposed to HIV. Instead of risking an infection, you should proceed with caution and receive HIV PEP treatment. PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis, which means that you protect yourself after the incident has occurred. Prophylaxis comes from the Greek word of protection.

When Should You Receive HIV PEP?

It is important to stress out that only those who are HIV negative may receive the treatment. Otherwise, there is no point in receiving protection against the infection. If you are HIV negative and you do not know if you have been exposed to the virus, it is best to seek medical attention.

More specifically, you should get HIV PEP treatment if you have been sexually assaulted or if you have used the same needle as others while injected. Obviously, the same goes for those who have had unprotected sex with an unknown partner. In the last case, you need to be careful as you do not know your partner’s HIV status.

You must keep in mind the fact that treatment is only effective when received within 72 hours after infection. Even if you receive treatment after the specific time frame, you will not get any results. In addition, you ought to know that HIV PEP does not substitute your regular preventive measures. For instance, you should still use a condom and avoid using the same needles as others.

What about Health Workers?

Although it is quite rare for health workers to get infected, in case of an emergency you are urged to seek treatment. You will be expected to receive HIV PEP once or twice a day for a period of 28 days. As a result, you will be protected against any potential infection.

Will You Still Need STD Testing?

STD stands for Sexually Transmitted Diseases. As you can imagine, HIV is one of the most severe STDs you should be concerned about. However, it is not the only one. So it goes without even saying that you should proceed with STD testing, if you think you have been infected. STD testing, will also inform you of other diseases, such as HPV and syphilis, Hepatitis A, B and C, Herpes, Chlamydia & Gonorrhea.

Although HIV PEP can be a truly helpful tool in your hands, it will not protect you against all STDs. This is the main reason why you still need to be meticulous with STD testing.

Bottom Line

HIV PEP is related to treatment that might be received, by whoever is suspicious of an HIV infection. The treatment needs to be received within 72 hours after the possible infection. In any other case, it is not helpful. Receiving the treatment, though, will not protect you against STDs. Finally, protective measures against STDs are your best line of defence for remaining healthy and risk-free.