Question
How does PEP work?
14 August 2022. Related: All topics.
Hello I started my PEP 25 hours after exposure which means that the virus had time to enter my lymph nodes if I’m not wrong. So I was wondering if PEP actually kills the infected cells before the 28 days?
I was the top for anal sex with a person who didn’t know her status before we had sex.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
HIV does not often reach the lymph nodes and cause lymphadenopathy for the first few days. These symptoms are most commonly seen from day 14-18 and HIV can enter the lymph nodes from ~2-3 days. This is why PEP is recommended to be used within 72 (and sometimes 48) hours.
PEP works by preventing HIV replicating. For HIV to survive in the body it needs to replicate within cells and move to other cells. This is how HIV would eventually lead to the lymph node and spread throughout the body. PEP prevents this and means that the bodies natural way of killing infected cells can work before HIV spreads.
This is why PEP works.
Josh.
Hello I just wanted to share that the second viral load test that I have done came back negative and another combo test 3 months after exposure also came back negative. So I feel grateful like I’ve been given another chance in life