Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
If you are HIV negative and at a high risk of HIV infection, PrEP is a prescription medication taken once daily that can help reduce your risk of infection.
Infectious disease specialists provide patient-centered care and life-prolonging treatment for this disease
Early diagnosis and treatment of the condition may keep it from progressing, allowing many people with HIV to have normal life spans. Our highly skilled infectious disease specialists provide patient-centered care and treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
HIV attacks the cells of your immune system, substantially decreasing your ability of fight off illness or infection. HIV actually changes the DNA in your immune cells by mixing its own DNA with yours. Treatments focus on stopping the virus from spreading its DNA by removing the proteins it needs to integrate its DNA into yours, or by keeping the virus from entering your immune cells.
After HIV becomes advanced, your body may have difficulty fighting off infection. When this happens your immune cells in your blood decrease to an extremely low number, and you may catch conditions like pneumonia or tuberculosis. Once HIV has progressed to this point, you have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
HIV attacks the cells of your immune system, substantially decreasing your ability of fight off illness or infection. HIV actually changes the DNA in your immune cells by mixing its own DNA with yours. Treatments focus on stopping the virus from spreading its DNA by removing the proteins it needs to integrate its DNA into yours, or by keeping the virus from entering your immune cells.
After HIV becomes advanced, your body may have difficulty fighting off infection. When this happens your immune cells in your blood decrease to an extremely low number, and you may catch conditions like pneumonia or tuberculosis. Once HIV has progressed to this point, you have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
To significantly reduce your risk of contracting HIV, you could begin taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily medication to prevent HIV. According to the CDC, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken consistently. Studies show that taking PrEP daily can reduce your risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%.
For more information about PrEP, please visit the CDC’s overview.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults be tested once in their lifetime and more frequently for those with risk factors. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, the CDC recommends that you obtain an HIV test:
A standard guideline to follow is that antibodies will not typically be present in the blood for up to 28 days. Antibodies will appear sometime between one and three months. In rare cases, antibodies may not be detectable for six months.
The earliest an antibody test will detect infection is three weeks. Most (approximately 97 percent) - but not all - people will develop detectable antibodies within three to 12 weeks of infection.
To significantly reduce your risk of contracting HIV, you could begin taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a daily medication to prevent HIV. According to the CDC, PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken consistently. Studies show that taking PrEP daily can reduce your risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%.
For more information about PrEP, please visit the CDC’s overview.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults be tested once in their lifetime and more frequently for those with risk factors. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, the CDC recommends that you obtain an HIV test:
A standard guideline to follow is that antibodies will not typically be present in the blood for up to 28 days. Antibodies will appear sometime between one and three months. In rare cases, antibodies may not be detectable for six months.
The earliest an antibody test will detect infection is three weeks. Most (approximately 97 percent) - but not all - people will develop detectable antibodies within three to 12 weeks of infection.
IU Health experts provide treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to meet your individual needs. Your physicians will work with you to find medications for your needs, answer all your questions, manage your side effects and symptoms, and prevent infections.
To maintain your health with an AIDS diagnosis, it is important to stay engaged in your medical care, live a healthy lifestyle, and take care of your emotional health. To best serve you, your team at Positive Link offers a continuum of services to help meet these needs.
You can also join support groups or seek counseling at IU Health to help you take care of your emotional health and find financial resources.
All medications for HIV may cause side effects such as anemia, headaches, nausea and vomiting. We will work with you to manage these side effects and find treatments that work for you. Options include:
Other services and treatments include:
IU Health experts provide treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) to meet your individual needs. Your physicians will work with you to find medications for your needs, answer all your questions, manage your side effects and symptoms, and prevent infections.
To maintain your health with an AIDS diagnosis, it is important to stay engaged in your medical care, live a healthy lifestyle, and take care of your emotional health. To best serve you, your team at Positive Link offers a continuum of services to help meet these needs.
You can also join support groups or seek counseling at IU Health to help you take care of your emotional health and find financial resources.
All medications for HIV may cause side effects such as anemia, headaches, nausea and vomiting. We will work with you to manage these side effects and find treatments that work for you. Options include:
Other services and treatments include:
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