The results of maintaining a daily routine of PrEP are well-known, but that doesn’t make them any less amazing. Once you’ve established your PrEP regimen, you are 99% protected from HIV infection. That’s an incredible statistic that we’re proud to share. That said, do you know what actually happens in your body when you take PrEP that creates that 99% protection?
At PrEP2Me, we want our patients to have a full understanding of how PrEP works to protect them against HIV. Here’s a rundown of the science behind PrEP:
Understanding How HIV Works
One of the reasons why HIV is so dangerous to the human body is that unlike many viruses and infections, we are not naturally equipped to eliminate it. In most cases, when an invader enters the body and threatens to make you sick, your immune system deploys white blood cells to protect vital areas and fight the disease off. In the case of HIV, the virus specifically attacks a special type of white blood cell called a CD4 cell, or T-cell. These cells are responsible for organizing an immune response, and when they are overtaken by HIV, the virus has the capability to multiply and spread without any retribution from your body’s best fighters. This is how patients with HIV become extremely sick, and ultimately, their immune systems become so compromised that they develop Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS.
So, What Does a PrEP Prescription Do?
Once you understand how HIV attacks the body, it’s easier to understand how PrEP works to combat it. Since HIV is seeking to target T-cells, the researchers who developed PrEP sought to create a medication that prevents the virus from replicating and taking over these cells. With this goal in mind, PrEP was made using two primary antiretroviral ingredients: tenofovir and emtricitabine. Should the virus enter your body during sex, injection, or another form of contact, these two antiretrovirals will block the specific enzyme it needs to replicate. If it can’t multiply, it will die before exposure becomes an infection.
Stick to Your PrEP Treatment Plan
It’s amazing that PrEP can offer 99% protection from HIV, but part of ensuring PrEP’s effectiveness is about sticking to your daily regimen. After 7-20 days of your first dose of PrEP, the antiretroviral effects that stop HIV from being able to replicate should be firmly in effect. Because PrEP doesn’t stay in the body for long, each daily dose is essential to ensuring that you’re consistently protected. If you lapse on your daily routine, that protection will wane, and you may once again be at risk for infection.
If you’re ready to start protecting your body against HIV in the best way possible, PrEP2Me can help you get started with a daily dose of PrEP. We make it simple and accessible to receive your PrEP prescription online, and we’ll send it to you discreetly wherever you are in the country. We’ll send you an at-home STI test, then you’ll be contacted virtually by a real HIV specialist to discuss your treatment plan.
Now is the time to start PrEP with PrEP2Me, where we make staying safe easy and accessible!
