Q and A

Question

Should I continue with PEP after finding out my partner was negative?

17 April 2022. Related: All topics, HIV transmission, PEP/PEPSE.

I started taking PEP as I didn’t trust my friend. One week after we tested and he was negative, should I continue with PEP or stop?

Answer

Answer: Josh Peasegood

Hi, how are you doing?

You can stop PEP.

As you have found out your friend is negative, there is no risk to you becoming HIV positive.

Please see this link for more information about PEP:
https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq

Josh.

6 comments

  1. Josh Peasegood •

    Hi Ubong, as your partner has tested negative it does make the exposure low risk. It possible that your partner is in a window period however this would be rare and risk based on timing.

    Do you have reason to believe your partner is in a window period? There is no harm in continuing PEP to complete the course if you would feel more comfortable, though the decision would be based on how risky the exposure was compared to how you are tolerating PEP and if there are any side effects.

  2. Ubong •

    If I stop taking pep when discovering my partner is negative. What will happen if the person was in window period and tested negative.

  3. Josh Peasegood •

    Hi Kakyende, as this person has tested negative at a clinic they are HIV negative – this result is confirmed. You do not need to continue with PEP.

  4. Kakyende •

    i used an HIV strip and showed 2 lines meaning she was postive and next morning she requested we fo to a clinic and get her blood sample tested clinically and the test came out negative but before , i had bought pep from nearby pharmacy. Should i continue with pep even after clinical testing.

  5. Simon Collins •

    Hi Nass, medical information is personal and many people find it difficult to talk about HIV – even with close friends and partners. Some people also use HIV meds for prevention rather than treatment.

    If your friend is positive, you could let them know that HIV isn’t something that worries you – without this being about either of you. Or talk about other HIV stories in the news, saying the same thing.

    Even then they might still not want to talk.

    If you know then your firend doesn’t need to know this – and it they tel you in the future you can tell them then :)

  6. nass •

    What if, the friend is on meds and secretly doesn’t wanna tell yet he is positive