Do you need help with your medication or lab results?
Are you a person living with HIV? Do you understand your lab results? Do you need help adhering to your medication? We offer one-on-one support for those who need this life saving information. Understanding your lab results and medication can lead to better health outcomes and a longer best quality of life.
You can request a one-on-one appointment with an experienced trained health educator to guide you through your lab results and work together to get you virally suppressed. Enrolled Ryan White members can receive this support service at no cost.
We welcome our community members with lived experience to attend our quarterly meetings to strategize and update Providers about viral suppression. We value all the participants and providers feedback to assist our efforts in programming and outreach within our Ryan White network.
PEP Information
What is PEP?
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) means taking medicine to prevent HIV after a possible exposure.
PEP Must Be Started Within 72 Hours of Possible Exposure to HIV
Talk right away (within 72 hours) to your health care provider, an emergency room doctor, or an urgent care provider about PEP if you think you’ve recently been exposed to HIV:
during sex (for example, if the condom broke),
through sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment to inject drugs (for example, cookers), or
if you’ve been sexually assaulted.
The sooner you start PEP, the better. Every hour counts. If you’re prescribed PEP, you’ll need to take it daily for 28 days.
PEP is for Emergency Situations
PEP is given after possible exposure to HIV.
PEP is not a substitute for regular use of other HIV prevention.
PEP is not the right choice for people who may be exposed to HIV frequently.
If you are at ongoing risk for HIV, such as through repeated exposures to HIV, talk to your health care provider about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
How well does PEP work?
If taken within 72 hours after possible exposure, PEP is highly effective in preventing HIV. But to be safe, you should take other actions to protect your partners while you are taking PEP. This includes always using condoms with sexual partners and not sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment to inject drugs.
Are there any side effects?
PEP is safe but may cause side effects like nausea in some people.
In almost all cases, these side effects can be treated and aren’t life-threatening.
PrEP Information
What is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis?
Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, also called PrEP, refers to the daily use of antiretroviral medication by people who are HIV-uninfected but at risk of infection, to prevent HIV acquisition.
How Does PrEP Work?
Among people who inject drugs, it reduces the risk by more than 70%.
The risk of getting HIV from sex can be even lower if the client combines PrEP with condoms and other prevention methods.
Risks for other STDs should also be discussed and screened (syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia).
For PrEP to work well, it is dependent upon patients taking the medication every day.
If taken every day, PrEP reduces the risk of HIV infection by up to 90%. Protection from HIV diminishes greatly with lower levels of adherence.
Who Can Benefit from PrEP?
PrEP is only indicated for people who do not have HIV infection. There are three groups of people who are likely to benefit from PrEP:
Men who have sex with men (MSM) who:
Engage in condomless anal sex outside of a mutually monogamous relationship with an HIV-uninfected sexual partner.
Have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection in the last 6 months.
Have an HIV-infected sexual partner.
Heterosexually active people who:
Engage in condomless sex with a partner or partners of unknown HIV status who are at high risk of infection (for example, people who inject drugs or bisexual men)
Have an HIV-infected sexual partner.
Injection drug users, especially those who share injection equipment.
What Are the Risks of Taking PrEP?
ln clinical trials, PrEP was generally well-tolerated, and serious adverse events were rare.
Side effects of PrEP include mild nausea that improves with continued adherence to the medication; a 1-2 percent decrease in bone mineral density without a concurrent increase in fractures; and, primarily in patients with renal comorbidities, renal dysfunction that tends to resolve with cessation of the medication. Antiretroviral resistance due to PrEP is rare.
Although some people taking PrEP may reduce condom usage, this has not been shown to negate the HIV-protective effect of PrEP
Some people complain of gas, nausea, or headaches. These symptoms tend to disappear within 1 month.