FAQs: Harm Reduction

Harm reduction is a set of policies and programs that allow individuals to mitigate the risks associated with particular behaviors, whether those involve drugs, alcohol, tobacco or sex. At its foundation, harm reduction recognizes that strategies that emphasize abstinence or behavior avoidance may work for some individuals, but they are ineffective at the population level. Alternatively, harm reduction respects both human rights and personal autonomy, providing non-judgmental care and education alongside access to tools—such as condoms or alternative products—that help people stay safer. 

Learn more information about Harm Reduction from the following sources:

National Harm Reduction Coalition

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Stop Overdose Campaign

The stigmatization and criminalization of drug use stops people from requesting or receiving services that could save or improve their lives. Harm reduction puts the client first (a client-centered approach), provides flexibility, and focuses on the individual needs of each person. It puts emphasis on the strengths and capabilities of the individual and encourages empowerment. It also actively engages clients in making positive changes in their lives. 

Offering harm reduction services is an effective approach for preventing overdose, the spread of infectious disease, and other harms resulting from drug use.  

Harm reduction accepts some people engage in risky behaviors. There is no judgement for such behaviors, but this does not mean that risky decisions are encouraged. Harm reduction acknowledges the very real harms associated with risky behaviors and does not try to minimize the impact of them.

Harm reduction services do not increase crime in surrounding areas. In fact, they often improve community safety and cleanliness.

Harm reduction’s main goal is to keep people alive and as healthy as possible, and direct services often connect people with recovery resources that support sobriety or abstinence. However, harm reduction does not exclusively address addiction; rather, it gives people the tools to choose less harmful ways of engaging in a range of risky behaviors.  

Naloxone (also known as Narcan®) is a non-addictive medication called an “opioid antagonist” used to counter the effects of opioid overdose, for example morphine and heroin overdose. Naloxone is used to counteract life-threatening depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system, allowing an overdose victim to breathe normally. Naloxone only works if a person has opioids in their system; the medication has no effect if opioids are absent.

Although traditionally administered by emergency response personnel, naloxone can be administered by minimally trained laypeople, which makes it ideal for treating overdose in people who have been prescribed opioid pain medication and in people who use heroin and other opioids.

For more information about Opioid overdose and training on the use of Naloxone, please visit the National Harm Reduction Coalition website.

Harm reduction applies to many more behaviors than just drug use. From seat belts to condoms to designated drivers, most people engage in some form of harm reduction at some point.

EAC is implementing a small-scale project focused on harm reduction in Southwest Arkansas based out of our Texarkana EPIC Empowerment Center. This project is funded through a grant partnership with the SUSTAIN Wellbeing COMPASS Coordinating Center at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, a Gilead COMPASS Initiative Coordinating Center working to address HIV/AIDS in the South by focusing on mental health, trauma-informed care, substance use (especially harm reduction and the opioid epidemic) and wellness in the context of HIV/AIDS. 

Our project is based on two goals: (1) ensuring all of our community-based staff are trained on harm reduction strategies; and (2) distributing "EPIC Empowerment Kits" at events and by request. EPIC kits contain Naloxone, safe sex supplies, hygiene products and educational resources for people at risk in our community.

Yes! While we cannot share information on all of the projects out there, we are able to share those with which we are familiar below:

Central Arkansas Harm Reduction Project

Hep C is a disease caused by a virus that infects the liver. A hep C infection can lead to inflammation of the liver and cause the immune system to attack healthy liver cells. It can be spread through blood-to-blood contact or when the blood from a person with hep C comes into contact with another person’s blood.

Most people with hep C don't have noticeable symptoms at first—or ever. That means you may not know you have it.

The most common symptoms of chronic hep C are tiredness and depression.

Hep C is commonly spread by:

• Sharing drug needles or accidental needlestick injuries
• Being born to a mother who has hep C

Less commonly, hep C is spread by:

• Contact with someone's blood in razors or toothbrushes
• Sex with a person with hep C
• Getting a tattoo or body piercing in an unregulated setting

Hep C CANNOT be spread by:

• Food, water, or sharing eating utensils
• Hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing

The CDC recommends all adults, ages 18+, get a one-time test for hep C.  

You should also be tested if:  

• You are pregnant (get tested during each pregnancy) 
• You currently inject drugs (get tested regularly) 
• You should also get tested regularly if you share needles, syringes, or other items to prepare your drugs 
• You used to inject drugs, even if it was just once or many years ago 
• You received certain blood products before 1987 or received a blood transfusion or solid organ transplant before 1992 
• You have ever had dialysis 
• You have HIV 
• Your mother had hep C when you were born 
• You are a healthcare worker or public safety worker and were exposed to HCV-positive blood by needle stick, sharps, or mucosal exposure 
• You have abnormal liver tests or liver disease 

If you would like to be tested for Hep C for free, submit a request using our easy online form here.

There are ways to lessen the risk of getting the hep C virus that you may want to discuss with your family and friends.  

Some of these include:  

• Avoid sharing or reusing needles, syringes, or any other equipment to prepare and inject drugs or other substances 
• Don't share razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, or other personal care items that may have come into contact with infected blood 
• Avoid tattoos or body piercings from facilities not licensed

There are several blood tests that healthcare professionals will perform to find out if you have hep C, including:  

• The hep C antibody test, which can tell if you've ever been infected with the virus 
• The hep C virus RNA test, which can tell if you have a current infection 

It is important to follow up with your healthcare professional about these tests after they are performed.

Hepatitis C includes several distinct genotypes, or genetic strains of the virus. Your healthcare professional will take your viral genotype into consideration when deciding what treatment to offer you, the dosage of your medications, and how long the treatment will last.  

There are 6 known major genotypes and more than 50 subtypes of hepatitis C. In the United States, genotype 1 is most common.

"Cured" means that no hep C virus can be found in your blood 3 months after you finish your hep C treatment. 12 weeks after you complete your treatment, your healthcare professional will do a blood test to determine if the hep C virus can still be detected.  

Chronic hepatitis C can lead to scarring of the liver (sometimes called “cirrhosis”). In patients with cirrhosis, scar tissue replaces healthy tissue.  

Cirrhosis can progress so slowly that people feel no symptoms for years, until damage to the liver has begun to take place. Some visible signs of cirrhosis are red palms, small spider-like veins on your face or body, and fluid in your abdomen (gut area). Approximately 5-25% of people with hep C will develop cirrhosis within 10-20 years. Your healthcare professional will consider whether you have cirrhosis when determining what treatment options are appropriate for you.

• Chronic hep C is when the infection is long-term or lasts more than 6 months
• More than half of people who become infected with hep C will develop chronic infection

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.  

Viruses are responsible for many of the hard-to-treat ailments in our society, from the common cold or flu to more serious conditions like AIDS.  

AIDS is a disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The HIV virus is spread from person to person through the exchange of contaminated body fluids, like blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk.  

When HIV enters the body, it attaches itself to white blood cells (part of the immune system). The virus contains a protein that causes the white blood cells to produce new HIV cells, which attach to other white blood cells and are carried to all areas of the body.  

Just like the virus that causes the common cold, HIV cannot be “cured” with medications. Furthermore, there is no vaccine to prevent infection. However, many medications do exist today that can help to keep the number of viruses in check for long periods of time.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is different from most other viruses because it attacks the immune system. The immune system gives our bodies the ability to fight infections. HIV finds and destroys a type of white blood cell (T cells or CD4 cells) that the immune system must have to fight disease.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It can take years for a person infected with HIV, even without treatment, to reach this stage. Having AIDS means that the virus has weakened the immune system to the point at which the body has a difficult time fighting infections. When someone has one or more of these infections and a low number of T cells, he or she has AIDS.  

Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for more information.

HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles and/or syringes (primarily for drug injection) with someone who is infected, or, less commonly (and now very rarely in countries where blood is screened for HIV antibodies), through transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors. Babies born to HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breast-feeding after birth.  

In the health care setting, workers have been infected with HIV after being stuck with needles containing HIV-infected blood or, less frequently, after infected blood gets into a worker’s open cut or a mucous membrane (for example, the eyes or inside of the nose). There has been only one instance of patients being infected by a health care worker in the United States; this involved HIV transmission from one infected dentist to six patients. Investigations have been completed involving more than 22,000 patients of 63 HIV-infected physicians, surgeons, and dentists, and no other cases of this type of transmission have been identified in the United States.  

Some people fear that HIV might be transmitted in other ways. However, no scientific evidence to support any of these fears has been found. If HIV were being transmitted through other routes (such as through air, water, or insects), the pattern of reported AIDS cases would be much different from what has been observed. For example, if mosquitoes could transmit HIV infection, many more young children and preadolescences would have been diagnosed with AIDS.  

All reported cases suggesting new or potentially unknown routes of transmission are thoroughly investigated by state and local health departments with the assistance, guidance, and laboratory support from CDC. No additional routes of transmission have been recorded, despite a national sentinel system designed to detect just such an occurrence.

In the United States, investments in HIV prevention have paid off. The rate of new HIV infections has slowed from more than 150,000 in the mid-1980s to around 40,000 per year now. Despite the substantial decline, the rate of new infections is still unacceptably high, making prevention (HIV testing and education) as important as ever.  

The most reliable ways to avoid acquiring or transmitting HIV are:  

• Abstain from sexual intercourse (i.e., oral, vaginal, or anal sex) 
• Be in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner 
• Abstain from sharing needles and/or syringes for nonprescription drugs 

All partners should get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) before initiating sexual intercourse. Having another STI increases, by two to five times, the likelihood a person will become infected with HIV and increases the likelihood an infected person will transmit HIV.  

If a person chooses to have sexual intercourse with a partner whose infection status is unknown or who is infected with HIV or another STI, a new condom should be used for each act of insertive intercourse – oral, anal, or vaginal.

Injection drug users, their partners, and their children account for a significant number of AIDS cases reported in the United States. Beyond abstinence, using a new, sterile needle or syringe with each injection remains the safest, most effective approach for limiting HIV and hepatitis transmission.

Pregnant women should be routinely counseled and voluntarily tested for HIV. Early diagnosis allows a woman to receive effective antiviral therapies for her own health and preventive drugs (e.g., Zidovudine, also known as ZDV) to improve the chances that her infant will be born free of infection.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.  

2010 Arkansas Code, Title 5 – Criminal Offenses, Subtitle 2 – Offenses Against The Person, Chapter 14 – Sexual Offenses, Subchapter 1 – General Provisions  

§ 5-14-123 – Exposing another person to human immunodeficiency virus.  

5-14-123. Exposing another person to human immunodeficiency virus.  

(a) A person with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or who tests positive for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus antigen or antibodies is infectious to another person through the exchange of a body fluid during sexual intercourse and through the parenteral transfer of blood or a blood product and under these circumstances is a danger to the public.  

(b) A person commits the offense of exposing another person to human immunodeficiency virus if the person knows he or she has tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus and exposes another person to human immunodeficiency virus infection through the parenteral transfer of blood or a blood product or engages in sexual penetration with another person without first having informed the other person of the presence of human immunodeficiency virus.  

(c) (1) As used in this section, “sexual penetration” means sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, or any other intrusion, however slight, of any part of a person’s body or of any object into a genital or anal opening of another person’s body.”  

(2) However, emission of semen is not required.  

(d) Exposing another person to human immunodeficiency virus is a Class A felony.

Arkansas is one of the four strictest states when it comes to state laws regarding HIV disclosure. Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio are the other three. Even if a condom is used, even if there is no emission of semen or HIV is not transmitted, sexual conduct without disclosure in Arkansas is still considered a crime, which carries severe penalties.  

Arkansas law requires disclosure in four defined instances: 

1. Medical professionals must disclose to the Arkansas Department of Health the results of any positive test. Conversely, medical staff are required to disclose to any person who tests HIV positive.  

2. An HIV positive person is required by law to disclose their HIV status to any physician or dentist prior to receiving any health care service.  

3. If an HIV+ person plans to engage in sexual conduct with someone, they must disclose their status to that person prior to the act. Notice how Arkansas sexual conduct is defined in part C above.  

4. If there is to be the transfer of blood or blood products (including the sharing of needles), there must be full disclosure of one’s known HIV status.  

There is protection against disclosure of one’s status by medical professionals without your consent. ACT 614 in 1989 established confidentiality standards for those who test HIV positive due to the sensitive nature of an HIV diagnosis.  

For people living with HIV, if you have a concern regarding HIV-related discrimination, contact Lambda Legal for guidance.

Appointments are highly recommended. Available testing hours may vary by location. 

To schedule a testing appointment at one of our locations, click here to complete a test request form.

Rapid HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis testing services at EAC are always free of charge.

No. You do not need to present any insurance information to receive rapid HIV testing with ARcare Positive Connections.

Currently, we offer an oral swab test that requires no blood and no needles at each of our locations. For this test, a result is able to be read in just twenty minutes.  We also offer finger-stick testing for HIV, HIV and Syphilis, and/or Hepatitis C at select locations with results available in a matter of minutes.

To schedule a testing appointment at one of our locations, click here to complete a test request form.

No, testing is not anonymous. EAC offers confidential testing. Our program complies with the confidentiality requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Privacy and Security Rules implementing the Act. Unless an exception to the Act applies or you authorize the release of the information, Protected Health Information relating to your HIV/STI testing will remain confidential.

The CDC recommends all sexually active individuals get HIV screenings at least annually. People who have multiple or anonymous partners should be tested for HIV more frequently. Getting tested every 3-6 months is recommended.  

Yes. Testing together is an HIV testing and counseling service for people and their sexual partner.  Testing together helps couples get tested and talk about safer sex together.  It’s a chance for both of you to find out your current HIV status, learn how to protect each other, and talk openly and honestly about sex and your relationship!

To schedule a testing appointment at one of our locations, click here to complete a test request form.

Let us know! Contact us and let us know you are interested in having us provide testing at your event. We will reach out to you for more information. Visit our Contact Us page here.

Our EAC Speaks! Speaker's Bureau offers a great selection of professional speakers with a vast range of experience presenting on topics related to HIV, sexual health, health empowerment, social justice issues, and LGBTQ health issues. Visit our EAC Speaks! page to learn more about each of our speakers.

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, essential support services, and medications for low-income people living with HIV who are uninsured and underserved. The Program funds grants to states, cities/counties, and local community-based organizations to provide care and treatment services to people living with HIV to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission among hard-to-reach populations.  

More than half of people living with diagnosed HIV in the United States receive services through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program each year. That means more than half a million people received services through the Program. More information available here.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program was named for a courageous young man named Ryan White who was diagnosed with AIDS following a blood transfusion in December 1984. Ryan White was diagnosed at age 13 while living in Kokomo, Indiana and was given six months to live. When Ryan White tried to return to school, he fought AIDS-related discrimination in his Indiana community. Along with his mother Jeanne White Ginder, Ryan White rallied for his right to attend school – gaining national attention – and became the face of public education about his disease. Surprising his doctors, Ryan White lived five years longer than predicted. He died in April 1990, one month before his high school graduation and only months before Congress passed the legislation bearing his name in August 1990 – the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. Read more here.  

We can help you connect with a Ryan White case manager or office closes to you. If you are living with HIV, we can also offer several supportive services to help you get to or remain in care, including transportation to appointments, limited food assistance, emergency financial assistance to purchase a photo ID, etc.  Contact us for more information.

People living with HIV may be eligible for Ryan White services who show Arkansas residency and who fall within the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) limitation for household income and size.  Other documentation, such as proof of any insurance will be necessary.  Contact us for more information or to be connected with a Ryan White Service Access Center near you.

Symptoms can appear between 5 to 21 days after exposure, and can include:

• An unusual rash or sores, which often start on the face or mouth then spreads to other parts of the body, including your genitals, butt, or inside your vagina
• Fever
• Headache, muscle aches, and back ache
• Swollen lymph nodes, including in your throat, armpits, and groin
• Chills
• Exhaustion (fatigue)

The rash or sores typically come after the other symptoms listed above, but that is not always the case. Someone can be contagious as soon as any of the above symptoms start. Symptoms can last up to 4 weeks with most people recovering from mild illness within that time.

Learn more information about MPV on the Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) website: https://bhocpartners.org/sexual-health-info/mpx/

Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) has developed a list of suggestions to keep yourself and your sex partners as safe as possible based on available data about how MPV may be spreading in our community. This includes getting vaccinated, talking with your sex partners, and periodically checking for symptoms. 

Learn more information about MPV on the BHOC website: https://bhocpartners.org/sexual-health-info/mpx/

You can also watch this brief video from the CDC on what all sexually-active people should know about MPV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf2x62i1_c8&t=3s

Find information, fact sheets, and more on the CDC website here: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/prevention/sexual-health.html

You can also find current information and a vaccine locator on the Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC) website: https://bhocpartners.org/sexual-health-info/mpx/

There are effective vaccines available for MPV. Find your closest vaccine location at MPOXVaxMap.org, and make sure to get both doses for the most protection.

To use the locator, simply enter your zip code to see nearby locations providing MPV vaccines.  

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a way to take control of your sexual health. It helps people who are HIV negative (not living with HIV) to reduce their worry about getting HIV. PrEP involves taking medication daily that contains a combination of antiretroviral drugs to stop the HIV virus from reproducing in the body.

PrEP is a powerful tool in helping to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, not everyone knows about PrEP or how to obtain it. Through our PrEPared for Life Program, we can help you find options for enrolling in PrEP services in Arkansas.  Contact us using the form below for more information. Visit our PrEPared for Life program to learn more.

PrEP is for anyone – straight, gay or bisexual. PrEP is for male, female, transgender or gender nonconforming individuals. 

PrEP is a way to prevent HIV for those that are at higher risk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends PrEP for anyone who is in an ongoing relationship with someone who is HIV-positive. Additionally, CDC also suggest PrEP be considered for anyone who isn’t in a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who recently tested HIV-negative, and

• is a gay or bisexual man who has had anal sex without a condom or have been diagnosed with an STI in the past 6 months.
• is a heterosexual man or woman who does not regularly use condoms with partners with an unknown HIV status who are at substantial risk for HIV (including people who inject drugs).

PrEP is also recommended for people who have injected drugs in the past 6 months and have shared injection equipment or have been in treatment for injection drug use in the past 6 months.

Everyone’s situation is different. If you are unsure whether PrEP might be for you, EAC can help you connect to free PrEP Services and HIV/STI testing. Visit our PrEPared for Life Program or call us at (844) 754-3742 for assistance.

HIV testing is done before starting PrEP because PrEP is only for people who are HIV negative. PrEP involves HIV testing every three months, periodic STI testing, and being seen regularly by a medical provider. Many insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover PrEP. Assistance may also be available if you are uninsured or if your co-pay or deductible is too high. CLICK HERE to request assistance.

Engaging Arkansas Communities can send you a FREE HIV test through the mail or connect you to HIV testing in your area. CLICK HERE for testing options.

There have been no significant side effects found in any PrEP trials to date. Some side effects associated with PrEP include an upset stomach, headache, vomiting, weight gain, and loss of appetite. However, symptoms typically go away after the first month of taking the medication. You should tell your healthcare provider if these or other symptoms become severe or do not go away.

While PrEP can affect kidney function, changes in kidney health are typically modest and are reversible--meaning kidney function is restored when a person stops taking the medication. A healthcare provider will monitor your kidney health regularly while you are taking PrEP.

The good news is most people who’ve taken PrEP reported they’ve had no side effects. However, as with any drug, it is good to know all the risks.  

• About 10% of the people taking PrEP experience mild side effects at the beginning. Examples of side effects include nausea, diarrhea and headaches. These were reported to go away quickly. 
• A small number of people taking PrEP may experience changes in their kidney function and in their bone density. These side effects are not common. 

When on PrEP, you should check in with your doctor or medical team member regularly so they can help you with any issues you may experience.  

Visit our PrEPared for Life program to learn more.

When taken every day, PrEP has been proven to reduce the risk of HIV infection, in people who have a greater chance of becoming HIV-positive, by up to 99%. However, keep in mind that PrEP is much less effective if it is not taken consistently.  

Visit our PrEPared for Life program to learn more.

PrEP is covered by most insurance plans as well as Medicaid. For those that don't have coverage, there are patient assistance programs that can provide financial help to cover the costs of prescriptions.  

Engaging Arkansas Communities can help you navigate the process of locating a PrEP-friendly provider and assistance programs for those who are uninsured or for those with a high co-pay or deductible.  

Visit our PrEPared for Life Program or call us at (844) 754-3742 for assistance.

Most insurance plans cover the cost of PrEP prescriptions, but eligible uninsured clients can utilize pharmaceutical or government assistance programs to get PrEP, often at no cost. If you do not have insurance, you can access PrEP through a variety of supportive programs.  

Visit our PrEPared for Life program to learn more.

Per CDC guidelines, patients on a PrEP medication regimen are required to attend follow-up visits with their medical teams every 3 months for lab work and prescription refills.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PrEP reaches maximum protection from HIV for receptive anal sex at about 7 days of daily use. For all other activities, including insertive anal sex, vaginal sex, and injection drug use, PrEP reaches maximum protection at about 20 days of daily use.

Yes, you should continue using condoms even when you are taking PrEP. 

PrEP does not protect you from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like syphilis, gonorrhea or chlamydia. Using PrEP and condoms together gives you protection from both HIV and most STIs. 

You can get condoms for free through EAC's Condom Club using a simple online request form.  CLICK HERE below to get started.

We think it’s great that you’re engaging in preventative healthcare by taking PrEP! If you have missed doses of your PrEP prescription, PEP may be right for you. You should contact your prescribing medical provider as soon as possible to discuss your potential exposure. Please keep in mind that PEP is most effective within 72 hours of an HIV exposure.

PEP stands for post-exposure prophylaxis. It involves taking antiretroviral medicines as soon as possible, but no more than 72 hours (3 days) after you may have been exposed to HIV, to try to reduce the chance of becoming HIV-positive. Though the window is within 72 hours of exposure, the sooner you are able to take the medication after an exposure the better.

You will be asked to take the medication for 28 days. Though these drugs have proven to be effective in preventing HIV for some, there is no guarantee this will work for everyone.

If you are prescribed PEP, you may need to undergo routine HIV testing at four weeks and three to six months after exposure. You may also be asked additional questions about your exposure, the person you were exposed to (in case they can be reached for HIV testing) and to test for other sexually transmitted infections. Women may be asked to take a pregnancy test. It is also likely, you will discuss how to lower your risk and avoid HIV exposure in the future.

PEP is generally prescribed for people fitting in the following categories:

• A healthcare worker exposed to blood or body fluids of HIV positive patient
• A person who has been sexually assaulted
• A person who has shared needles for drug use, tattooing or hormones with someone either they know to be HIV positive or whose HIV status they do not know
• A person who has engaged in sex without condoms with someone either they know to be HIV positive or whose HIV status they do not know

PEP is for emergency situations when someone may have been exposed to HIV. For someone who is at an ongoing risk for HIV, PrEP is the recommended option

PEP is effective at preventing HIV when started and taken correctly, but it is not 100%. A person needs to start taking PEP as soon as possible after a potential exposure, but not longer than 72 hours. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), research has shown that PEP has little or no effect in preventing HIV infection if it is started later than 72 hours after exposure.

It is also important to take the full course of PEP, as prescribed. PEP is prescribed for 28 days, with medication taken once or twice daily. 

PEP is safe, but some people taking PEP have experienced nausea as a side effect.

Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) is a 28-day course of medication that is effective in preventing HIV infection when taken within 72 hours after a high-risk exposure. PEP is only available by prescription and can be accessed through the ER or through a visit with your medical provider.  Act quickly. Do not wait.

We think it’s great that you’re engaging in preventative healthcare by taking PrEP! If you have missed doses of your PrEP prescription, PEP may be right for you. You should contact your prescribing medical provider as soon as possible to discuss your potential exposure. Please keep in mind that PEP is most effective within 72 hours of an HIV exposure.