post-exposure prophylaxis
noun
variants
or less commonly postexposure prophylaxis
plural post-exposure prophylaxes also postexposure prophylaxes
: a preventative treatment for infections or diseases (such as HIV, hepatitis, Lyme disease, or rabies) that involves administering one or more drugs to an individual after potential or confirmed exposure to a particular pathogen
Traditionally, most people only get treated for sexually transmitted infections after they notice symptoms, but this new method gets out ahead of a potential infection so the body can prevent it from occurring. In medical terms, it's known as post-exposure prophylaxis …—Scripps News
The new recommendations also include post-exposure prophylaxis for children: a single dose of doxycycline to be given after an engorged tick has been removed, especially during the summer months, to reduce the risk of Lyme disease.—Perri Klass
—abbreviation PEP
compare pre-exposure prophylaxis
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