How to prevent HIV if you had unprotected sex:

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a short-term antiretroviral (ARV) treatment that reduces the likelihood of HIV infection after exposure to HIV-infected blood or sexual contact with an HIV-positive person. The drug regimen for PEP consists of a combination of ARV medications that are taken for four weeks.

There is no cure for HIV, but there are treatment options that allow HIV-positive individuals to live long, healthy lives. If someone is exposed to HIV or thinks he or she may have been exposed, there is post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) that can reduce the likelihood of HIV infection occurring.

With PEP, an HIV-negative person who may have been exposed to HIV takes anti-HIV drugs prescribed by a doctor to prevent infection. These are the same drugs that people living with HIV take. PEP involves taking a prescribed anti-viral drug for one month. To effectively reduce a person’s risk of becoming HIV-positive, PEP must be taken within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV, but ideally as early as possible.

PEP is supplied to patients free of charge at government hospitals and clinics in South Africa.

How does PEP work in the body?

PEP works by stopping the virus from replicating after recent exposure (meaning, the drugs can prevent HIV from replicating within the body’s immune cells). The cells infected initially with HIV die naturally within a short period, reducing the likelihood for HIV to establish itself in the body.

Exposure to HIV is often divided into two categories:

Occupational exposure and non-occupational exposure.

• “Occupational” exposure refers to exposure to HIV at work in a healthcare setting. For example, a healthcare provider could be exposed to HIV through a needle stick injury at work.
• “Non-occupational” exposure refers to exposure to HIV through sex or drug use, for example, when a person shares a needle or has sex without a condom.

What must I do if I was raped?

To make sure that PEP treatment is effective and to prevent HIV infection after a rape incident, the survivor should:

• Start PEP treatment as soon as possible, but no later than 72 hours after  the rape or sexual assault;
• Take every dose of the medication as prescribed for 28 days;
• Be tested and treated for other sexually transmitted infections (STIs);
• Be tested for pregnancy, and if reported, the early morning after pill to prevent chances of getting pregnant should be given.
• After finishing PEP, you must wait 4-6 weeks before testing. If the PEP has worked, or the person was not initially infected, this will show as a negative HIV test.
• Practice safe sex for at least six months after the rape incident so that you don’t infect your partner.
• Return to the health facility for follow-up tests and counselling at six weeks, three months, six months, and one year after the rape incident.

”Note: PEP should be initiated as soon as possible, although it is offered up to 72 hours after exposure. The effectiveness decreases in efficacy from 24 hours postexposure, to 36, 48, and 72 hours. After 72 hours, PEP is not effective.”

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What makes PEP fail?

PEP may fail or be less effective if you miss a dose, fail to complete the entire month of PEP, or miss more than 48 hours of PEP. It stays in your system for a maximum of 24 hours, so you should not skip a dose and must take it every day at the same time, for example, in the morning or the evening.

Can you get tested again while you are taking PEP?

A test while on PEP is not accurate. This is because PEP can ‘mask’ HIV and will not give a precise representation of your status.

Quiz

You can do a self-test quiz – the STD Quiz, to learn more about your risk of contracting an STD.

Resources

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) | Life. https://www.news24.com/life/wellness/body/condition-centres/hiv-aids/testing/Post-exposure-prophylaxis-PEP-20130210