PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a 28-day course of medications that helps prevent HIV infection after possible exposure. If you think that you have been exposed to HIV, it’s important that you act sooner rather than later.
The sooner someone starts PEP, the better, but it must be started within 72 hours (3 days) after a possible exposure to HIV.
Reasons to take PEP may include:
- Having anal sex without a condom when you’re not using PrEP, with someone whose HIV status you do not know
- Having anal sex without a condom with someone who is HIV positive and does not have an undetectable viral load
- A condom breaking or slipping during sex
- Sharing injecting equipment
PEP is not a cure for HIV. PEP can prevent HIV from establishing itself in the body when a course of PEP is started within 72 hours after a possible exposure. We encourage people to act as soon as possible to get PEP to give it the best chance of working properly.
Find out more about PEP at www.getpep.info
You can access PEP from Emergency Departments, and during business hours at sexual health centres.
If you find that you need to access PEP more than once, you might want to consider PrEP.