Reduce Your Risk of HIV Infection with Preventive Medicine
World AIDS Day is an opportunity for every community to unite in the fight against HIV, show support for those living with it and remember those who died. During this webinar, Sean Patrick Riley, Advanced Practice Nurse at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset’s Babs Siperstein PROUD Center, discusses the causes of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), symptoms, the stages, the difference between HIV and AIDs, diagnosis, treatments and prevention strategies.
HIV remains a top public health concern for the LGBTQ community. At the Babs Siperstein PROUD Center, preventing HIV is one of our top priorities.
If you are engaging in high-risk behaviors that increase your chances of
becoming infected with HIV, such as having unprotected sex, please feel
safe to disclose that information with our medical staff.
We are highly trained in preventive measures to help you reduce your risk.
Pre-exposure Prophylactics (PrEP)
Preexposure prophylactics (PrEP), is an anti-HIV medication used to prevent HIV-negative people from becoming HIV positive. PrEP is a single pill used daily that reduces an individual’s risk of HIV infection by 92 percent if taken properly.
PrEP is not meant to be a substitute for condoms or other measures to prevent sexually transmitted diseases but should to be used in combination with other methods to provide greater protection.
Our providers will educate you on the use of PrEP as well as other ways to reduce your risk of HIV.
Postexposure Prophylaxis (PEP)
Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) is an antiretroviral medication used after high-risk contact with an HIV-positive individual. PEP is used to prevent an individual from becoming infected after blood-to-blood contact with HIV.
PEP is only effective within the first 72 hours of the exposure. If you are unable to immediately speak with someone in our office, please seek care at the Emergency Department at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.
If you believe you have come in contact with HIV, please alert us immediately to ensure you are seen promptly. Call us at 1-855-776-8334.
