Genitourinary medicine deals with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV. After an exposure to HIV, you may be advised to take HIV PEP, which consists of medications that decrease the risk of acquiring an HIV infection. Consult with a genitourinary medicine doctor about HIV PEP.
Genitourinary medicine deals with all types of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Of these, the one that requires the most management is the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Although HIV is no longer the automatic death sentence that it once was, it does require lifelong management with medications to prevent the virus from progressing and damaging the immune system. These are known as antiretroviral medications (because HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus). A genitourinary medicine doctor is an expert in the use of antiretroviral medications.
If you’re exposed to HIV, then you may be advised to take post-exposure prophylaxis, or HIV PEP. This consists of taking antiretroviral medications for a period of four weeks following the exposure. By decreasing the amount of HIV in the body, HIV PEP helps to reduce the likelihood that you’ll end up with a lifelong HIV infection. Research has shown that PEP is only effective if it’s started within 72 hours (three days) of the exposure. Every hour counts; the longer you wait, the less likely it is that PEP will protect you from an HIV infection, so you should get medical attention as soon as possible.
One situation in which people take HIV PEP is after a sexual assault. In many cases, you don’t know the HIV status of the perpetrator, and a condom is almost never used during a sexual assault. You don’t want to live with HIV for the rest of your life because of this traumatic event. If the perpetrator is caught and is HIV-positive, then you’ll definitely want to take HIV PEP. If the perpetrator isn’t caught, then you may want to take HIV PEP anyway, to reduce the risk that you’ll end up with an HIV infection. It might be that the perpetrator is HIV-negative, but it’s better to take the medications unnecessarily than to risk acquiring HIV. This is why it’s generally recommended that those who are sexually assaulted take HIV PEP in Singapore, unless you have verified that the perpetrator is HIV-negative.
Many people worry about experiencing side effects of the medications while on HIV PEP. These medications have been extensively tested for safety, and they don’t cause serious or permanent health problems. Some people do experience side effects, with nausea being a common one. If you feel nausea while taking PEP, this isn’t a reason to discontinue the medication; if you get an HIV infection, you will need to take these medication for the rest of your life anyway. However, your doctor can often give you medication to treat the side effects. Antinausea medication is effective and can increase your comfort while taking HIV PEP.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 27 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 27 Jun 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 4 Jun 2015. Accessed 27 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “HIV Basics – Testing.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 5 May 2016. Accessed 27 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/testing.html
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. “Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).” AIDS.gov. Published 21 Sep 2015. Accessed 27 Jun 2016. https://www.aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/post-exposure-prophylaxis/
References
Genitourinary medicine at Shim Clinic, Singapore