Break The Silence

By Gregory de Vries

The key question this month is how do you deal with getting raped? BTS have found that a lot of people will go to the police station first. Whilst this is a good idea there are other options as well: have you every heard of PEP? Post- Exposure Prophylaxis refers to methods of preventing HIV infection after being exposed to transmission by blood or fluid from an HIV infected person. PEP itself is an ARV and should be taken within 72 hours from the time of exposure to HIV infection. If you are raped the doctors will put you on a short course of antiretroviral medicines to try and prevent you from becoming infected with HIV.

How does PEP work? Just like any other antiretroviral treatment PEP will help prevent HIV from entering the cells of your body and increasing in number, though it is not 100% able to prevent HIV infection PEP can prevent 80-90% of HIV infection.

When should PEP be taken? PEP should be taken with in 72 hours of being exposed to HIV but it is best that it be taken within 24 hours if possible .You need to report it to your nearest health centre and be directed to where you can access PEP. The sooner Pep is taken the better the chances of preventing possible HIV infection.

Why is PEP important? When someone is forced into penetrative sex, either vaginal or anal often a condom is not worn by the perpetrator which places the abused person at risk of HIV infection. It is therefore important that rape victims have access to PEP to prevent possible HIV infection.

How long should PEP be taken? PEP should be taken for a whole month. It is very important that you take all your medicines at the correct times and in the exact way that your doctor advises you.

Where can PEP be found? PEP is usually found at a health centre ,such as hospital or clinic. You may contact your doctor for more information.

Who can take PEP ? Anyone can take PEP, providing that you can prove that you have been put at risk of H I V infection through an accident or rape.

What is considered before you start PEP? Before you are given PEP, you may be asked some questions by the doctor attending to you to make sure that you need to begin PEP. Some of the questions she/he may ask you include: The details of what happened to you, when it happened, the possibility that the person who raped you had HIV, what your HIV status is and so on. You may be asked if you want to know your HIV status before beginning the PEP.

BTS Know : It is a good idea to know your HIV status before beginning PEP, if you are HIV positive and begin PEP and then stop treatment or fail to take all the medicines at the right times, you may develop medicine resistance. If you develop medicine resistance, this means that some of the medicines you take to fight the HIV in your body may no longer work well. This will affect your future treatment options. Once the doctor confirms that you need to get PEP, she/he will tell you what medicines you will need to take, how long you will need to take the medicines a n d what possible side effects the medicines may have on you.