A summary of current research into CD4 cell loss in early infection and its implications for HIV prevention, by NAPWA policy analyst Kirsty Machon.

If your partner is exposed to HIV during sex through unprotected intercourse or a broken condom there is a treatment option available that may prevent infection. PEP involves taking a combination of at least two anti-HIV drugs for 28 days. As with other HIV treatment regimes, PEP must be taken at strict times of the day.

p(standfirst). If you think you have been exposed to HIV, there is, in a few places, a treatment available that may prevent HIV infection.This is called post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP.

In Australia, at the time of writing, PEP is available for non-occupational exposures to HIV (such as through sex or injecting drug use) only in NSW, Queensland and the ACT, and through one hospital in Victoria. In many other countries it is not available at all, or you have to pay the full cost of the treatment. PEP is a course of anti-HIV drugs taken at specific times of the day for a period of four weeks. PEP does not guarantee prevention of HIV infection. However, research shows that PEP may significantly decrease the chances of infection after exposure to HIV.