Information on PEP for HIV Prevention

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Is Pep right for You?

PEP may be right for you if you are HIV-negative or don’t know your HIV status, and you think you may have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours: During sex (for example, you had a condom break with a partner of unknown HIV status or a partner with HIV who is not virally suppressed)

What does pep mean?

The word “prophylaxis” means to prevent or control the spread of an infection or disease. PEP means taking HIV medicines within 72 hours (3 days) after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent HIV. PEP should be used only in emergency situations. It is not meant for regular use by people who may be exposed to HIV frequently.

When is Pep effective?

In order to be effective, PEP must be started within 72 hours of potential HIV exposure. Time is of the essence. In fact, PEP is most effective when it’s started within 24 hours of exposure. Because of this, it’s vital to talk with a healthcare professional as soon as possible if exposure to HIV may have occurred.

What is Pep & how does it work?

PEP is actually a combination of different antiretroviral drugs. These drugs work to prevent the virus from replicating effectively in the body. The currently recommended combinations for most healthy adults and adolescents include: tenofovir/emtricitabine ( Truvada) with raltegravir (Isentress)

What are the National Pep guidelines?

The National PEP Guidelines provide comprehensive information about risk assessment. In brief: The person with whom the event occurred needs to be HIV positive or from a population likely to have HIV infection The patient needs to present for assessment within 72 hours of the event

Where can I find a pep provider?

Call the Victorian HIV Prevention Service (Tel. 1800 889 887) for guidance and information about where to find your closest PEP provider. PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is a course of antiviral medication to prevent HIV infection if you think you have been exposed to the virus. be taken correctly as prescribed over a 28-day treatment period

When should Pep be started?

PEP needs to be started within 72 hours of the exposure. The earlier PEP is started the more effective it is. How does PEP work? In the first few hours to days after being exposed to HIV the amount of virus in the body is very low.

How long does pep take to work?

PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) is a 28 day course of medication taken after an HIV exposure to reduce the risk of HIV infection. PEP needs to be started within 72 hours of the exposure. The earlier PEP is started the more effective it is. How does PEP work?

What Is PEP

1. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/sexualhealth/Pages/post-exposure-prophylaxis.aspx
2. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/post-exposure-prophylaxis-for-HIV-prevention
3. https://endinghiv.org.au/stay-safe/pep/
4. https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/hiv-prevention/using-hiv-medication-to-reduce-risk/post-exposure-prophylaxis
5. https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv/post-exposure-prophylaxis
6. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/pep/about-pep.html
7. https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/post-exposure-prophylaxis-pep
8. https://www.qpp.org.au/information/hiv-prevention/pep/
9. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/Pre-exposure-prophylaxis-PrEP

PEP Information

1. https://www.alfredhealth.org.au/images/resources/patient-resources/PEP-Information.pdf
2. https://pep.guidelines.org.au/guidelines/further-information/information-for-patients/
3. https://hivmanagement.ashm.org.au/biomedical-prevention-of-hiv-infection/post-exposure-prophylaxis/
4. https://ashm.org.au/resources/australian-pep-guidelines/