Question
Will PEP still work if I am not taking it strictly every 24 hours?
16 May 2022. Related: Adherence, All topics, PEP/PEPSE.
I started my 28-day PEP course 4 days ago after having oral sex with a girl and later noticed that my gum was potentially bleeding while giving the oral sex. The third day of taking PEP I was taking the pill late for 1 hour (taking it at 12:30 vs. my usual time of 11:30). The fourth day I was late for another one hour (taking it at 13:30). Today I took the pill again at 12:30 because I felt like taking it at my usual time of 11:30 would have been too soon since the last dose (13:30). Will PEP still work effectively for me? Thank you so much.
Answer
Hi, how are you doing?
Yes PEP will still work effectively for you.
PEP needs to be taken regularly every 24 hours for it to work. But PEP does remain in the body longer than 24 hours. For this reason there is some leeway for being late or early with a dose by an hour.
Though it is best to avoid this to ensure you are maintaining a suitable level of PEP within the body. Is 11.30 still suitable for you or is it better moving your regular time to 12.30? To help remember it may be suitable to set an alarm each day to prompt you to take PEP.
Josh.
Hi
I was on pep for 28 days then I slept with someone that I don’t know their status then accidentally the condom breaks so I just wanna find out if I should start a new pep for another 28 days
Hi Ernest, as you had already been taking PEP you only need to extend the course for 2 days (a minimum of 2 days after the last exposure). You are not required to restart a new course of PEP.
More information about PEP can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
Hi Shantel, yes it is okay to change the time of PEP. You can change the time the day of your next dose. You can then continue PEP from this new time.
Changing time will not cause PEP to be less effective.
More information about PEP can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
Can one change the time of pep intake? Will it still be effective?
Hi Twinamatsiko, for more information about PEP please see here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
Will it work effective
Hi Sean, even though you had been taking isentress at the wrong time, Truvada alone can be suitable alone as PEP.
It is still recommended to combine Truvada with a third drug which you have done, but this does mean that taking isentress at the wrong time for the first few days is not going to have any impact. PEP will still be effective.
More information about PEP can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
I took PEP Incorrectly after possible exposure. I took (1 truvada & 2 Isentress). This went on for 4 or 5 days before correcting to (1 truvada & 1 Isentress) then (1 Isentress) 12 hours later for the remaining 24 or 25 days.
Is it possible that my PEP course could fail?
Hi Beatrice, do you mean PrEP or PEP? As you had already been on treatment for a number of days, being late with one dose is not going to change how it works. You can continue to take treatment at your normal time (10:40pm).
More information about PEP can be found here: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/pep-faq
I forgot to take my ninth tablet of prep took it after seven hours will it still work because I was suppose to take it at 10:40pm but took it at 6:00am will it still work