Introduction
In the ongoing battle against HIV, our most potent weapon is knowledge. With the strides made in medical science, we now have more tools than ever to prevent the spread of HIV.
The key players are PEP and PrEP, game-changing medications that have revolutionized our approach to HIV prevention. Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) are prescription medications designed to protect individuals from contracting HIV. Despite their similar acronyms, these medications have significant differences in their application and usage.

What is PEP?
PEP is an emergency intervention that could help you. It’s a course of antiretroviral drugs that you take after potential exposure to HIV—such as unprotected sex, needle sharing, or a needlestick injury. PEP aims to prevent the virus from establishing itself in your body.

Timing is critical—PEP must be initiated as soon as possible, ideally within 2 hours and within 72 hours after exposure, for it to be effective. The recommended PEP regime involves taking Raltegravir, Tenofovir, and Emtricitabine daily for 28 days. Based on the CDC, the preferred PEP regimen for otherwise healthy adults and adolescents is tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) (300 mg) + emtricitibine (FTC) 200 mg) once daily PLUS raltegravir (RAL) (400 mg) twice daily or dolutegravir (DTG) (50 mg) once daily). The other HIV drugs may not be effective for HIV PEP.