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 Siyabonga, as you had already been on established PEP for the previous 2 weeks, being late with this one dose is not going to change how effective your course of PEP is. You can continue taking PEP at 16:30 like normal to finish the course.
Hi. I’ve been taking PEP(Acriptega) for 2 weeks now. I usually take it at 16:30 pm, but forgot to take it the other day took it at 1:30am and then continued with my 16:30 schedule, am I still at risk or I’m cool?
Hi Mustafa, sorry for the confusion. Yes you can continue with your normal time of 10pm. This will include taking 2 in the same day, one at 6am and then continuing as normal from 10pm that day.
As you had already been established on PEP for the previous 13 days, being late with this single dose is unlikely to reduce how effective PEP is.
Hello Josh Peasegood
I read your answer above I didn’t understand yet, can you please clarify it for me.
I take my pep for the pass 13 days normally from 10.00pm to 10.30pm. Yesterday I do miss I remember when it is at 6.00Am. it is less than 24hours yes of cause I take it immediately can I continue with this time 6am until the end or go back to my normal 10.pm schedule time.
Hi Douglas, no you will not need to start again. Missing one dose of PEP within a course is unlikely to reduce how effective the course of treatment is. Take the missed dose as soon as you can and then continue with your regimen as normal.
Hi,
I have been taking PEP for the last 11 days. I have been taking it between 7AM – 8PM. I left the house early and forgot to carry today’s tablet. It will not able to access the meds for the next 12hours when I go back to the house.
Will this still be effective or will I need to start over again? Am I at risk?
Hi Penny, while on PEP you are protected from further exposures. Being an hour late will not risk PEP not working. For the duration of PEP you are protected from further exposures as it will work like PrEP. This second exposure will have no effect on your treatment.
I got re-exposed on day 10 of pep had travelled somewhere and later took my meds after an hour lateis my question is was pep still present in my blood stream hope this wont affect my treatment
Hi Kevin, missing a single dose of PEP is unlikely to risk PEP no longer being effective. You can continue taking PEP as normal. You do not need to start another dose.
Hie…I have taken peps for the past one week at 9.30pm but I missed it yesterday the whole day and took it today at 9.40pm.Kindly advise is it still effective or should I start another dose?