PEP TO PREP
About PEP
Prevention Is Better Than The Cure!
eFlorida is third in the nation for HIV cases. Exposure to HIV is not linear; you may be come exposed through more than one way. Rather sexually assaulted and unsure of your assailant’s status or an unexpected night of consensual sex, having immediate access to PEP on hand can give you a peace of mind and potentially save you from being exposed.
PEP has also proven to be effective in an occupational setting, i.e. – tattoo artist, correctional officers, police officers, and many other at-risk occupations. Having the peace of mind that PEP is already in your possession, in event of an emergency, can be life changing… LITERALLY!
PEP-which stands for post-exposure prophylaxis, is a combination of two medications that can be taken shortly after potential exposure to HIV to reduce the risk of the virus entering your system.
PEP is time sensitive and must be taken within 72 hours of potential exposure to be effective. The sooner you start, the more effective it is, as every hour counts.
PEP is a 28-day cycle taken once or twice a day and must be completed to its entirety. The medications utilized in PEP are known as, antiretroviral medications (ART), and they function by inhibiting the spread of HIV within the body.
YOU CAN BE IN CONTROL OF YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH. Having PEP in “your pocket”, will ensure that there is no wait in an emergency situation. When used correctly, PEP is over 90% effective.
About PrEP
YOU'VE HAD TO USE YOUR PEP, NOW YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S NEXT?
PEP TO PrEP
AFTER FOLLOWING ALL OF THE NECESSARY “PEP” GUIDELINES, PREP IS YOUR CONTINUING OPTION.
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine that reduces your chances of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV.
PREP is used before exposure.
PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV.
- PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed.
- Although there is less information about how effective PrEP pills are among people who inject drugs, we know that PrEP pills reduce the risk of getting HIV by at least 74% when taken as prescribed. Currently, PrEP shots are not recommended for people who inject drugs.
- PrEP is less effective when not taken as prescribed.
PrEP is safe, but some people experience side effects like diarrhea, nausea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain. These side effects usually go away over time.
Is PrEP right for me?
PrEP can help protect you if you don’t have HIV and any of the following apply to you:
You have had anal or vaginal sex in the past 6 months and you
- have a sexual partner with HIV (especially if the partner has an unknown or detectable viral load),
- have not consistently used a condom, or
- have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the past 6 months.
If PREP IS RIGHT FOR YOU, CONTACT US TODAY!
TO READ MORE ABOUT PREP, PLEASE SEE https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/prep/prep-decision.html