Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Definition of PEP
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
PEP: The abbreviation PEP stands for a number of things in medicine including post-exposure prophylaxis. Prophylaxis means a defense or protection.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, for example, might concern the treatment of a health care worker exposed by a needle stick to HIV with a drug such as AZT to protect them from being infected with HIV.