PEP 101 Is PEP Right For Me?

PEP Access
PEP Basics How Do I Know If I Need PEP? How Do I Get PEP?
PEP stands for PEP means taking medication after If you are HIV-negative or don’t know your HIV You can talk to your healthcare
status, and in the last 72 hours you…
Post-Exposure you may have been exposed to HIV provider (in person or through
telehealth), or visit an emergency
Prophylaxis to prevent transmission. may have been
exposed to HIV
or shared
needles or
or were room, urgent care, or health
during sex, for sexually
example, if the
works to
assulted department to be prescribed PEP.
prepare drugs
People are exposed to HIV by condom broke Act right away if you think you've
coming into contact with
certain body fluids of a recently been exposed to HIV.
person with HIV, including …talk to your healthcare provider, an
blood, semen, and vaginal emergency room doctor, or local health
The word “prophylaxis”
means to control or
fluids. This usually
happens through anal
department about starting PEP right away. How Do I Pay for PEP?
prevent the spread of an or vaginal sex or by
infection or disease. sharing needles.
What Should I Expect While I’m Taking PEP? If you are prescribed PEP and you
cannot get insurance coverage
If you may have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, talk Your healthcare provider will If your healthcare (Medicaid, Medicare, private,
P E P I S FO R provider prescribes PEP, If you are prescribed PEP
E ME R G E N CY U S E
to your healthcare provider, an emergency room doctor, or test you for HIV before
after a sexual assault, you
or employer-based),
you’ll need to take it daily
your local health department about PEP right away. prescribing PEP. They may may qualify for partial or your healthcare provider
for 28 days.
test you again six months total reimbursement for can apply for free PEP
after you begin taking PEP to medicines and clinical care
How Does PEP Work? make sure you stay
HIV-negative. It takes time 28
DA
YS
costs through the Office for
Victims of Crime, funded by
the U.S. Department of
medicine through the
medication assistance
for an HIV test to show that a programs run by the
PEP is effective in preventing HIV after possible Justice. More information
person has HIV. manufacturers.
exposure, but not 100%. Use condoms with sex is available at ovc.ojp.gov.
partners and use safe injection practices.
It’s important you follow your healthcare
PEP must be started
provider’s advice about how to take What Happens if PEP Doesn’t
within 72 hours (3 days)
your pills. This
will give you Work and I Contract HIV?
after you may have been the best
exposed to HIV. But the chance to
sooner you start PEP, the Tell your healthcare PEP is highly effective in preventing
prevent Getting and staying on
better. Every hour counts. provider if you have HIV. HIV, but if it doesn’t work and you get treatment will help you
trouble remembering HIV, the most important step is to get manage your HIV
PEP may help the body's immune system stop the virus from being
to take your pills or into care and start HIV treatment. better and can keep
copied in the infected cells of the body. The infected cells would want to stop PEP you healthy for
then die naturally within a short period of time without producing treatment. many
more copies of HIV.
years.
S IDE EFFECT S
Can I take If you are at risk for HIV, ask You should
LE ARN M O RE
your healthcare provider about immediately tell
PEP every Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, PEP is safe, but it may cause side your healthcare
time I have sex also known as PrEP, which is a
effects like upset stomach and provider if these or For more information about HIV treatment,
without a condom? medication you take every day
fatigue in some people. These other symptoms visit cdc.gov/StopHIVTogether/Treatment.
to prevent HIV.
side effects can be treated and become severe or
No, PEP should be used only For more information about PrEP, For more information about PEP,
are not life-threatening. do not go away. visit cdc.gov/HIV/Basics/Pep.html.
in emergency situations. visit cdc.gov/StopHIVTogether/Prevention.
 GET INFORMED

CHOICE FOR YOU

MAKE THE RIGHT
YOU ARE IN CONTROL

ABOUT PEP?
DO YOU KNOW
LEARN MORE ABOUT
/StopHIVTogether /CDCHIV @CDC_HIVAIDS

cdc.gov/StopHIVTogether