Prevention of HIV / AIDS

HIV/AIDS is highly preventable when cautious measures are taken.

Cautious Measures

HIV/AIDS is highly preventable when cautious measures are taken. Prevention must be a community effort with commitment to create change and reduce risky behaviors. Attention must be given to health education to raise awareness of risk, transmission modes and preventative measures. Abstinence from all forms of sexual activity would be ideal and 100% effective but is unrealistic. So, the next best thing is choosing less risky sexual behavior which includes:

  • Mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.

  • Reducing number of sexual partners.

  • Use of female and male condoms consistently and correctly.

  • Reduction of intravenous drug use.

  • Drug dependency programs along with programs that provide clean injection equipment.

  • Early testing for all other STD’s and treatment when needed.

  • Regular schedule for HIV testing or when warranted. HIV testing is highly recommended in the third trimester of pregnancy to identify women who seroconverted during pregnancy. With the use of maternal and infant antiretroviral, transmission can be reduced by 50-90%.

  • Proper sterilization procedures implemented for all equipment that is reused in tattooing and skin piercing services.

  • Proper use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis/PrEP and Post –Exposure Prophylaxis/PEP

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis

PrEP is a treatment plan to prevent HIV before a person is exposed
while PEP is a treatment plan for after a person is exposed.

PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis

PrEP and PEP
Pre-exposure & Post-exposure

Though listed last, these preventative measures certainly are not of least importance. Prophylaxis is any action taken to prevent disease, especially by specific means or against a specified disease. With that in mind, PrEP’s goal is to prevent the HIV infection from being viable if exposure happens. PrEP is not a vaccine, and it does not teach the body to fight off the infection. PrEP is a pill that is taken daily (or as prescribed) and is a composition of some of the same medicines found in ART. These medicines show promise by blocking the HIV infection. They must be taken properly to effectively stop HIV from attaching and spreading throughout the body.

PrEP is recommended for those who are HIV-negative but are elevated risk for contracting HIV. A High-risk HIV-negative person would be:

  • Anyone in a sexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner.

  • Anyone in a non-mutually monogamous relationship, with a partner who recently tested HIV negative.

  • Gay or bisexual men who have had anal sex without a condom in the last 6 months.

  • Gay or bisexual men who have had anal sex and has been diagnosed with a STD in the past 6 months.

  • Any straight man or woman who doesn’t extensively use condoms during sex with a partner(s) of unknown HIV status who are at substantial risk (e.g., intravenous drug user, bisexual males).

  • Intravenous drug users who have used in the past 6 months.

  • Intravenous drug users who share injection equipment of have been in a drug treatment program for injection drug use in the past 6 months.

  • Straight male whose partner is HIV positive. (PrEP is an option to protect an uninfected woman during conception and pregnancy).

PrEP can be highly effective; studies have shown the risk of contracting the HIV infection is lowered by up to 92% when the medicine is taken consistently. It is imperative that the drug be taken daily along with regular visits to a health care provider every 3 months for re-testing, prescription refills and follow up care. Side effects are minimal as, upset stomach and loss of appetite are possible and dissipate with in the first month. Some receivers experienced mild headaches, but no serious or long-lasting side effects have been reported.

PEP (post-exposure prophylaxisis) is used after a possible exposure event; the antiretroviral medicine needs to be taken within 72 hours of exposure to reduce the chance of HIV infection. PEP must be taken for 28 consecutive days to be effective; however, it is not always effective. For optimum results it is especially important to start PEP within 72 hours after exposure as the virus has the capacity to quickly duplicate itself (mitosis) once it enters the body. The HIV can spread throughout the body in 3 days (72 hours). PEP is not intended or designed for frequent exposure. The three-medications used are stronger and of higher dosage than those used for PrEP.

Typically, PEP is used for the following reasons:

  • Health care worker exposed to blood or body fluid of a HIV patient.

  • Single event of: Unprotected sex

  • Needle sharing

  • Sexual Assault

( PEP ) post-exposure prophylaxis

It is important to understand that PEP is not a substitute for regular use of PrEP or other proven HIV protection methods. Much like PrEP, there are no significant side effects associated with PEP, though nausea has been reported and is easily treated. Upon taking PEP, three additional HIV tests are required, the first within 4 to 6 weeks, the second within 3 months and the last within 6 months of exposure.

Important to Remember
Persons prescribed PrEP, PEP or ART must use condoms
consistently and correctly during all sexual activities.

Prevention
HIV / AIDS

4 HOUR CONTINUING EDUCATION