Question
I had sex part way through my course of PEP. Is my partner at risk?
16 December 2021. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, PEP/PEPSE, Sero different couples.
I am HIV negative and I previously had unprotected sex with an HIV positive woman. I immediately started PEP medication. At day 23, I had unprotected sex with my wife before completing my dose. I am very worried of a possible re-infection and also infecting my wife with the virus. Is there any likelihood of both of us remaining negative?
Answer
Hi, how are you?
Starting PEP immediately will have greatly reduced your risk. It is also encouraging that this event happened at day 23. By this point, PEP will be established in your body and hopefully working.
There is no guarantee that PEP will have worked. Though in this circumstance it is very unlikely that your wife will be infected. It would not be recommend for your wife to start PEP based on how low risk this event was. The most important thing is to continue with your course of PEP and test 28 days later.
If you have another question, please get in touch.
Josh.
Hi Jafet, PEP needs to be taken within 72 hours of the exposure. Any longer and PEP is no longer effective. Do you have reason to believe that this woman is HIV positive? As she has mentioned she tested the day before, it remains more likely that she is HIV negative.
There are a number of factors that change the risk of transmission, a few of which are discussed here: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/risks-for-transmission
Jafet
I slept with a girl without a condom but it wasn’t my will I was prepared the condom but when she cm from shawer she started said hope we both fine and she said she tested a day befor yesterday so from there when I heard that said I lost the power to focus on condom we make sex without a condom I realised it myb after 15 days to 17 or 20 after i make a sex with my fiance so im truly disappointed Monday 21/11/2022 we are going to she a doctor if we may us take pep
Hi Thembi, while you are taking PEP you are protected from further exposures. There is no risk from re-infection from a second exposure if this occurs mid-way through a course of PEP.
Hey. What are the chances of re-infection from unprotected sex while on pep for a week and some days, please I’m really worried…
Hi Tiana, having unprotected while you are on PEP will not put yourself at any more risk.it. It is possible that there is some risk to your partner. Though being on PEP does suppress HIV (it is more likely that you do not have HIV) which makes transmission very unlikely. For this reason there is no need for your partner to be on their own course of PEP. Your PEP will not be inefficient.
Hi, I am a week and somedays into the pep course and had unprotected sex with my negative partner and I’m afraid whether it puts us both at a high risk or my partner to be specific, and will my pep pill be inefficient?
Hi Joyce
Please see links here for Qs about testing and transmission.
https://i-base.info/qa/11844
I have sex with my negative partner after one day of possible exposure did I infect him and am using pep,
Hi Kunta, yes these results are conclusive. After this long the test would be 99% conclusive (there is no 100% test in medicine). Taking PEP so soon would have greatly reduced your risk. The symptoms you have are not being caused by HIV. Are these symptoms currently being managed by your doctor?
Hello? I had a high risk exposure through a condom break and took pep after 24 hours, After finishing pep I have had symptoms such as Rashes on hands and neck and oral thrush, I have tested negative with an Ag/Ab Elisa 16 weeks post exposure ( 12 weeks after finishing pep), are these results conclusive? My doctor is telling me to test out to 6 months for conclusive results, also about my symptoms I still have them with a negative Ag/Ab test, can I move on with my life? Please help