How long does it take prep to start working?

Prep, the little blue pill that everyone is talking about. Whether you’re taking it for prevention or using it to treat an existing infection, one thing’s for sure – you want to know how long it takes to start working. After all, time is money and in this case, health. In this article we’ll be discussing what prep is and how long does it take for prep to start working.

What Is PreP?

First things first – let’s define what we mean by “prep”. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PreP) refers to a daily antiretroviral medication taken by people who do not have HIV but are at risk of acquiring the virus through sexual intercourse or injection drug use.

It was approved by the FDA in 2012 as a preventative measure against HIV transmission when combined with other safer sex practices such as condom usage (unless y’all fancyee some raw-sushi) and proper cleaning of needles before injections. That being said though, just like any other medication or preventive measure out there (excluding cutting off your private parts which isn’t really helpful); they come with their own risks & benefits that vary from person-to-person depending on a variety of factors such as age, gender identity & type of sexual partner(s), personal ritual interaction e.t.c.

How Long Does It Take For PreP To Start Working?

Great question! The short answer is – [it varies]. The amount of time Prep takes to start working depends on several factors related specifically to each individual patient.

In order for us clarify here; By ‘Start Working’, We refer here solely around its efficacy towards preventing acquisition during sexual intercourse within anal/vaginal membranes environments(e.g Oral Sex fits under mouth part).

Precursory:

Before we can dive into exploring these factors which affect “how long does it take for prep to start working?”, we would like use a simple illustration of the difference between “peak level” and “steady state levels” often referenced when discussing medication response.

• “Peak Level”: This refers to the time frame after taking your medication where concentrations of drug in blood plasma (the fluid part of your blood) are highest.
• “Steady State Level”: This refers to the amount if drug concentration measures that maintains relative balance within an average individuals metabolic processes e.g A patients absorption, distribution, metabolism & excretion play key role in determining how quickly they reach steady state.

There’s no specific timeframe for when you’ll see results from PrEP since everyone is different; however, there are several factors that can affect how long it takes to start working

Gender:

As with many medications out there especially those involving hormones; gender plays a key role here. Some studies suggest women may need more time than men before they see the full protective benefits of PreP due biological differences body chemistry i.e how their hormone structure affects digestion & processing medications etc.

The efficacy rates published have been based on clinical trials predominantly on Men who were sexual with other Men or TransWomen whereby Statistically speaking effectiveness isn’t equal among genders as yet thus far globally known statistics remain unequal towards any formality regarding vaginal penetration interaction cases specific solely W.L.A.G(my apologies..WomXn-Lesbian-Asemetic-Género-SideNote: Regardless whichever queerness category one identifies -Prep is essential)

Timing:

Studies have revealed that adherence issues related lack consistency/regularity could impact this question negatively. Therefore while answering ‘How Long Does It Take For PreP To Start Working?’, let us keep in mind ‘how long did you wait until starting’? According NIAID study conducted by NIH(2019), it recommended waiting at least 7 days(as per product manual guidelines) from start of PrEP until having unprotected sex as opposed to those able to abstain for the prophylactically prescribed 20 days, peak level measurements indicate significant median difference

Compliance/Adherence:

While we all try our best strive towards being consistently stringent on medication scheduling- let me be real – sometimes life gets in the way. How well you adhere to taking it everyday and following ALL recommended safe sex practices greatly affects its effectiveness hence compliance is key here.

When taken daily (taking religiously around same hour everyday), PreP was shown reduce risk of getting HIV through sexual intercourse by over 90% among clinical-trial study results consisting mostly MSM & T/W; while some individuals may achieve protective blood plasma concentrations within a few hours (akin viagra), others can take up-to several weeks or month(s) depending on their own physiology #YMMV ((Your Mileage May Vary))

To measure adherence ideally folks should aim at doing follow up meetings quarterly(closer spaced intervals during early period i.e>14days after intial ingestion).

Other Factors That Can Affect How Long Prep Takes To Start Working

In addition to adherence issues, there are other factors that can affect how long it takes prep to start working including metabolism rate, timing of doses relative meal intake and general body health:

Age:

It has been suggested that younger people respond better when they start using pre-exposure prophylaxis than older people since active elements in this medication are faster processed metabolites/anabolites frequently present with larger proportionals upon youthful phyiscal substrates(just speculation).

Body Penis size/BMI/Race etc:

Factors such as age,body weight,muscle mass,presence various metabolic enzymes,tolerance levels make dosing recommendations tricky thus requiring more precise assessments for optimized coverage against infection…on penis size though,evidences simply show no correlation whatsoever.

Health Status:

If an individual has a liver or kidney condition it could affect how their body metabolizes PreP, this will be independently assessed during follow up visits.

Conclusion

So there you have it folks! The timeline of how long does Prep takes to start working fully is not set in stone but rather a transitional one that particular individuals exhibits. Generally though, when taken consistently & correctly as prescribed (preferably around the same time each day) effectiveness starts kicking after peak plasma levels concentration levels are achieved within 4-7 days amongst majority those find adherence palatable studies show; with recommendable results seen between 2-3 months respectively.

Remember (and this cannot be overemphasized) – taking PrEP does not protect against other Sexually transmitted infections(STIS’s), so condoms and dental dams etc remain essential for protection against any other STIs ya freaky deaky come out whenever HIV/AIDS haunt your imagination