Contents:
- Medical Video: Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
- What is Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)?
- How effective is PEP for preventing HIV?
- Is PEP safe?
- Not all hospitals provide PEP
Medical Video: Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
If you have been accidentally exposed to HIV, for example when having sex without using a condom with someone you suspect is HIV positive or having a needle punctured by someone who is HIV positive, you should immediately take post exposure prophylaxis (PEP). What is PEP and how effective is it to prevent HIV? Check out the reviews in this article.
What is Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)?
Post Exposure Prophylaxis or commonly abbreviated as PEP is a form of emergency treatment to prevent HIV. This treatment is usually carried out after the actions that are at risk of causing HIV. For example, someone who works in a health service that is accidentally punctured by ex-HIV patients, rape victims, and unprotected sex with someone who might be HIV positive or when you are unsure of your partner's HIV status.
The way this treatment works is by giving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) within a period of about 28 days to prevent or stop exposure to the HIV virus so as not to become an infection for life.
What must be understood, PEP is a form of treatment that can only be done during medical emergencies in people who are HIV negative. So, if you are HIV positive, you cannot do this treatment.
How effective is PEP for preventing HIV?
PEP should be done as soon as possible after a person is accidentally exposed to HIV. To be effective, this drug must be consumed within 72 hours (3 days) since the last exposure. However, the sooner you start PEP action the better because it can significantly reduce your risk of getting HIV. Even so, this drug is not 100 percent guaranteeing you are free from HIV infection even though it has been consumed properly and disciplined. Because, there are various things that might cause you to be more susceptible to HIV infection.
You should first consult a doctor who is trained and understands about PEP. Usually before starting this treatment the doctor will test for HIV status. As explained above, PEP can only be done on those who are HIV negative, not those who are HIV positive.
If you are prescribed a PEP drug by a doctor, you should take the medication regularly one or two times a day for 28 days. You should re-examine your HIV status around 4 to 12 weeks after the exposure.
Is PEP safe?
PEP is a medical emergency treatment that is classified as safe to do. However, this treatment may cause side effects for some people. The most common side effects when someone does this treatment are nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.
Even so, these side effects are relatively mild and tend to be easily overcome so they are not life threatening. Most importantly, do not stop doing this treatment if the doctor does not recommend you stop. Your discipline in carrying out this treatment has a major influence to prevent HIV infection.
Not all hospitals provide PEP
PEP is an important treatment. Unfortunately, not all hospitals in Indonesia provide PEP. This is because PEP has not been included in the HIV prevention program of the government. In some cases, antiretroviral drugs are only available for those who are HIV positive. That is, if those who are HIV negative want to get PEP medicines domestically, the process is certainly not easy. The reason is that this is related to the preparation of health facilities such as logistics and the availability of ARV drugs themselves.
Even so, immediately consult your doctor to get proper treatment if you are accidentally exposed to HIV. This is done to prevent HIV from attacking your immune system too far.
