MJ
Hello and Thank You for Using the AIDS Vancouver Helpline as your source of HIV/AIDS related information.
Official guidelines concerning recommendation around testing post PEP are lacking in most countries, provinces, states and regions in general. Because not enough is known for certain about how PEP may or may not affect the body's normal ability to produce antibodies, should the medication fail and infection occurs, testing guidelines around when to test post PEP vary greatly.
Here at the Helpline, we follow what has been recommended by the BC Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS which is to test before the use of PEP to ensure there is no existing HIV infection, testing at 3 months post PEP and 6 months post PEP. Therefore, if the PCR test was taken 3 months post PEP, we consider this test to be extremely reliable (accuracy of 99.6%).
It may put your mind at ease to know that in all of the cases of high risk exposure & where PEP was administered, the BC Center for Excellence has never seen a case where an individual tested negative 3 months post exposure or post PEP that later tested positive without any additional high risk exposures.
Please feel free to write back with any additional questions you may have at this time. I have also included a link with additional information on PEP.
http://www.catie.ca/fact-sheets/prevention/post-exposure-prophylaxis-pep
In health,
Elyse
AIDS Vancouver Helpline
604-696-4666, Monday-Friday 9am-4pm
Disclaimer
The AIDS Vancouver Helpline is a volunteer-driven information, referral and support service related to HIV and sexual health. Volunteers are trained in active listening, HIV and sexual health information, and local resources and services. Volunteers are not doctors, nurses, or other licensed professionals. Volunteers do not give advice, and strive to provide service-users with adequate information and appropriate referrals.
Helpline volunteers uphold the agency’s confidentiality and privacy policies. Your calls, forum posts, and emails are anonymous. We welcome you to use a pseudonym or “fake name” when using Helpline services. We will not ask for or track your personal information. To ensure that the Helpline program is providing quality services, the Helpline Coordinator regularly monitors online content (forum posts and emails) and supervises volunteers who are receiving calls.
The Helpline Program should not be used in replacement of medical examination, diagnosis, advice counseling or follow-up care. We strongly recommend routine testing (HIV and STI tests) and discussing your healthcare directly with a physician.
We would love to hear from you! If you have feedback or questions related to the operations of the Helpline, please contact David at helpline@aidsvancouver.org or by calling 604.696.4666.
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