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In a sentence reading peri- and post-stimulus is the first hyphen necessary?

If not, what alternative structure should be used?

RegDwigнt
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CMGreenspon
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    Why do you think it's not necessary? Do you have something against hyphens? – Catija May 22 '15 at 09:22
  • *A prefix* is a half word (e.g., anti-, ex-, post-, pre-) placed before a word to modify its meaning. Most prefixed words can be written with or without a hyphen after the prefix.

    *As a guideline,* avoid the hyphen if you can, but if the unhyphenated version is a spelling mistake (let your spellchecker do its job) or looks too unwieldy for you, use a hyphen.

    That said, you should always use a hyphen with ex- and self-, and you should never allow ambiguity to creep in (e.g. you must write re-press the shirt not repress the shirt). http://www.dailywritingtips.com/hyphenating-prefixes/

     –  May 22 '15 at 09:36
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    @Josh61 But in the case of a lonely prefix, as in the question, the hyphen is generally required. – Catija May 22 '15 at 09:45

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