What Is Post Exposure Prophylaxis (AKA PEP)? | ASL | Planned Parenthood

This video shows a Deaf narrator signing in American Sign Language (ASL) in front of a light blue background, and simple line-drawn animation and text that appears next to him as he signs. Animation also sometimes appears between his lines on a navy blue background. This animation is a direct visual representation of the lines being signed, and emphasizes the keywords as text on-screen.

The narrator is a Deaf Salvadoran-American man, with light brown skin, brown eyes and short black hair. He is wearing a maroon sweater with a zip up collar, and black jeans. He wears a hearing aid in his left ear.

NARRATOR:
PEP stands for post exposure prophylaxis. PEP refers to taking emergency medicines after you’ve been exposed to HIV. PEP can help prevent you from getting HIV if you start it within 3 days, or 72 hours, after being exposed to HIV.

If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV during sex, were sexually assaulted, or shared needles with someone who has HIV, PEP may be right for you.

The sooner you start PEP, the better it works. Every hour matters. But you need a prescription from a doctor or nurse to get PEP. So call your doctor, your local Planned Parenthood health center, or visit an emergency room as soon as you can if you think you need PEP.

PEP isn’t just a one-time pill, it’s many pills over many weeks. You take anti-HIV medicines 1 to 2 times a day for at least 4 weeks.

There can be side effects of PEP, like stomach aches and tiredness. But PEP side effects aren’t dangerous, and can be treated.

PEP lowers your chances of becoming HIV positive by a lot. But there’s no guarantee that PEP will work.

Your doctor or nurse can help you decide if PEP is right for you. They’ll talk with you about what happened, when it happened, and who it happened with to help you figure out if PEP is a good option for you.

PEP isn’t meant to be used often — it’s only for emergencies. For ongoing HIV prevention, use condoms, and ask a doctor or nurse about PrEP — a medicine you use regularly that can help you prevent HIV.

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