A look at new guidelines for HIV treatment and prevention
Start antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible after HIV infection is confirmed. Consider daily PrEP for patients at risk from sexual exposure or who inject illicit drugs.
Victims of sexual assault can benefit from referral to professionals with expertise in post-assault counseling. Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs are listed at https://www.sane-sart.com.
Financial assistance for patients. Anti-retroviral drugs are expensive, and those who need nPEP may not have a payer source. Many pharmaceutical manufacturers offer medication assistance programs, and processes are set up to handle time-sensitive requests. Information for specific medications can be found at https://www.pparx.org/en/prescription_assistance_programs/list_of_participating_programs. Those who are prescribed nPEP after a sexual assault can receive reimbursement for medications and health care costs through state Crime Victim Compensation Programs funded by the Department of Justice. State-specific contact information is available at https://www.nacvcb.org/index.asp?sid=6.
