When do you start post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV?

PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) means taking medicine to prevent HIV after a possible exposure. PEP should be used only in emergency situations and must be started within 72 hours after a recent possible exposure to HIV.

What are the benefits of post-exposure prophylaxis?

Benefits: Taking PEP may prevent you from becoming HIV positive. You only need to take PEP for a month (28 days). If you become HIV positive you may have to take anti-HIV treatments for a lifetime.

What is the first step in post-exposure prophylaxis management?

PEP Step 1: Treat Exposure Site ® Use soap and water to wash areas exposed to potentially infectious fluids as soon as possible after exposure. ® Flush exposed mucous membranes with water. ® Flush exposed eyes with water or saline solution.

How effective is PEP after 12 hours?

If you believe you have been exposed to HIV, you should seek PEP treatment as quickly as possible. PEP must be taken within 72 hours of exposure or it will have little to no effect in preventing an HIV transmission. In fact, PEP is the most effective when it is taken within 24 hours.

How long do you take post exposure prophylaxis?

How Long Do You Need to Take PEP? If you are prescribed PEP, you will need to take the HIV medicines every day for 28 days. You will also need to return to your health care provider at certain times while taking PEP and after you finish taking it for HIV testing and other tests.

How effective is PEP after 60 hours?

PEP should be initiated as soon as possible “hours, not days” and ideally within 24-36 hours. There is no evidence of PEP efficacy when initiated past 72 hours.

Why do you have to take PEP for 28 days?

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is the use of short-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) to reduce the risk of acquisition of HIV infection following exposure. Current guidelines recommend a 28-day course of ART within 36–72 hours of exposure to HIV.

What is in post-exposure prophylaxis?

PEP, or post-exposure prophylaxis, is a short course of HIV medicines taken very soon after a possible exposure to HIV to prevent the virus from taking hold in your body. You must start it within 72 hours (3 days) after a possible exposure to HIV, or it won’t work.

How do you do post-exposure prophylaxis?

PEP is a combination of three drugs. You take them once or twice a day for 28 days: For adults, the CDC recommends tenofovir, emtricitabine (these two drugs come in one pill), and a third drug, either raltegravir or dolutegravir.

Why is PEP 72 hours?

Does PEP work after 60 hours?

This, as highlighted above, has been demonstrated in animal models. Thus, even though PEP is often offered for up to 72 hours after exposure, it should be initiated as early as possible. After 72 hours, PEP is not effective, and there are gradations in efficacy from 24 hours postexposure, to 36, 48, and 72 hours.