Awareness / Safety in a Clinical Laboratory

HIV: Pre & Post Exposure Guidelines

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

Key Points

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is when people who do not have HIV but are at risk of getting HIV take HIV medicine every day to prevent HIV infection. PrEP is used by people without HIV who are at risk of being exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use.
Two HIV medicines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as PrEP: Truvada and Descovy. PrEP is most effective when taken consistently each day.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that studies on PrEP effectiveness have shown that consistent use of PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% and from injection drug use by at least 74%.

What is PrEP?

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. The word “prophylaxis” means to prevent or control the spread of an infection or disease.

PrEP is when people who do not have HIV but are at risk of getting HIV take HIV medicine every day to prevent HIV infection. PrEP is used by people without HIV who are at risk of being exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use. Two HIV medicines are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as PrEP: Truvada and Descovy. Which medicine to use for PrEP depends on a person’s individual situation.

If a person is exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use, having the PrEP medicine in the bloodstream can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout the body. However, if PrEP is not taken every day, there may not be enough medicine in the bloodstream to block the virus.

Who should consider taking PrEP?

PrEP is for people who do not have HIV but are at risk of getting HIV through sex or injection drug use.

Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that PrEP be considered for people who are HIV negative and who have had anal or vaginal sex in the past 6 months and:

have a sexual partner with HIV (especially if the partner has an unknown or detectable viral load), or
have not consistently used a condom, or
have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) in the past 6 months.

PrEP is also recommended for people without HIV who inject drugs and:

have an injection partner with HIV, or
share needles, syringes, or other equipment to inject drugs.

PrEP should also be considered for people without HIV who have been prescribed non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) and:

report continued risk behavior, or
have used multiple courses of PEP.

If you think PrEP may be right for you, talk to your health care provider.

How well does PrEP work?

PrEP is most effective when taken consistently each day. CDC reports that studies on PrEP effectiveness have shown that consistent use of PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% and from injection drug use by at least 74%. Adding other prevention methods, such as condom use, along with PrEP can further reduce a person’s risk of getting HIV.

Does PrEP cause side effects?

In some people, PrEP can cause side effects, such as nausea. These side effects are not serious and generally go away over time. If you are taking PrEP, tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

What should a person do if they think that PrEP can help them?

If you think PrEP may be right for you, see a health care provider. PrEP can be prescribed only by a health care provider. If your health care provider agrees that PrEP may reduce your risk of getting HIV, the next step is an HIV test. You must be HIV negative to start PrEP.

What happens once a person starts PrEP?

Once you start PrEP, you will need to take PrEP every day. PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken every day.

Continue to use condoms while taking PrEP. Even though daily PrEP can greatly reduce your risk of HIV, it does not protect against other STDs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia. Combining condom use with PrEP will further reduce your risk of HIV, as well as protect you from other STDs.

You must also take an HIV test every 3 months while taking PrEP, so you will have regular follow-up visits with your health care provider. If you are having trouble taking PrEP every day or if you want to stop taking PrEP, talk to your health care provider.

This fact sheet is based on information from the following sources:

From CDC:

Also see the HIV Source collection of HIV links and resources.

Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)

Key Points

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) means taking HIV medicines within 72 hours (3 days) after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent HIV infection.
PEP should be used only in emergency situations. It is not meant for regular use by people who may be exposed to HIV frequently. PEP is not a substitute for regular use of other HIV prevention methods.
PEP must be started within 72 hours after a possible exposure to HIV. The sooner PEP is started after a possible HIV exposure, the better.
If you are prescribed PEP, you will take HIV medicines every day for 28 days.

What is PEP?

PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis. 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 infection.

PEP should be used only in emergency situations. It is not meant for regular use by people who may be exposed to HIV frequently. PEP is not intended to replace regular use of other HIV prevention methods, such as consistent use of condoms during sex or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is different than PEP, in that people at risk for HIV take a specific HIV medicine daily to prevent getting HIV.

For more information, see the HIVinfo fact sheets on The Basics of HIV Prevention and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Who should consider taking PEP?

PEP may be prescribed for people who are HIV negative or do not know their HIV status, and who in the last 72 hours:

May have been exposed to HIV during sex
Shared needles or other equipment (works) to inject drugs
Were sexually assaulted
May have been exposed to HIV at work

If you think you were recently exposed to HIV, talk to your health care provider or an emergency room doctor about PEP right away.

A health care worker who has a possible exposure to HIV should seek medical attention immediately.

When should PEP be started?

PEP must be started within 72 hours (3 days) after a possible exposure to HIV. The sooner PEP is started after a possible HIV exposure, the better. According to research, PEP will most likely not prevent HIV infection if it is started more than 72 hours after a person is exposed to HIV.

If you are prescribed PEP, you will need to take the HIV medicines every day for 28 days.

What HIV medicines are used for PEP?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidelines on recommended HIV medicines for PEP. The CDC guidelines include recommendations for specific groups of people, including adults and adolescents, children, pregnant women, and people with kidney problems. The most recent PEP recommendations can be found on CDC’s PEP resources webpage.

Your health care provider or emergency room doctor will work with you to determine which medicines to take for PEP.

How well does PEP work?

PEP is effective in preventing HIV infection when it is taken correctly, but it is not 100% effective. The sooner PEP is started after a possible HIV exposure, the better. Every hour counts. While taking PEP, it is important to keep using other HIV prevention methods, such as using condoms with sex partners and using only new, sterile needles when injecting drugs.

Does PEP cause side effects?

The HIV medicines used for PEP may cause side effects in some people. The side effects can be treated and are not life-threatening. If you are taking PEP, talk to your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

This fact sheet is based on information from the following sources:

From CDC:

Also see the HIV Source collection of HIV links and resources.

Ref. from:

https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/post-exposure-prophylaxis-pep

https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep

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