HIV is one of the most-feared sexually transmitted diseases. Having another STD when you’re exposed to HIV makes it more likely that you’ll acquire an HIV infection, which is lifelong and requires you to take medications to control it. Taking HIV PEP after an exposure can decrease the chances that you’ll develop the lifelong infection.
During a sexual encounter, you might not be thinking about the possibility of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, this is the time for you to protect yourself from the potentially serious consequences that an STD can cause in your life, through the use of a condom.
If you do acquire a sexually transmitted disease, it may be an easily curable one, such as gonorrhea or syphilis. While both of these diseases have the potential to cause serious harm to your health, they can also be cured with antibiotics. As long as they’re caught early, before they cause any permanent damage, they’ll not have a big influence on your long-term health.
However, in some cases, a sexually transmitted disease can last the rest of your life. There are a few viruses that can be transmitted sexually that can cause serious damage to your health and can even be fatal if not properly treated. These include the hepatitis B and C viruses, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). For most people, these are the STDs of greatest concern, and the best reason to use good judgment when choosing with whom you will have sex and whether a condom will be used.
Sometimes, you may have an emergency in which you’re exposed to HIV. This might be a sexual experience with an HIV-positive partner. Sometimes, you find out afterwards that the partner was HIV-positive, while other times, you give in to temptation and have sex despite knowing that it’s dangerous. It could also happen when you get stuck by a contaminated needle in the workplace (as a healthcare worker), or when you share a needle for injection drug use and then find out your buddy is HIV-positive.
If this happens to you, you could consider taking HIV PEP. It’s like the morning-after pill for HIV exposure. HIV PEP consists of taking HIV medications (usually two of them) for about a month after the exposure. This helps to control the virus, decreasing the chances that it will establish an infection inside of your body. Much like the morning-after pill for birth control, HIV PEP is meant to be used rarely, only when you have a single known exposure. It’s not a good way to decrease your risk if you’re exposed to HIV regularly. (Similarly, the morning-after pill is not a good method of regular birth control!)
In order to be effective, HIV PEP must be started within 72 hours after the exposure. If you wait any longer, it will be too late. You can obtain HIV PEP in Singapore at an STD clinic, where you can also get the follow-up HIV testing that you’ll need.
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
Sexually at Shim Clinic, Singapore