Question
I have started PEP and want to know if I will be okay?
28 November 2010. Related: PEP/PEPSE, Side effects.
I had sex with a transexual man. I was on top and without me realizing the condom had ruptured, I washed myself and went home. But I did not feel comfortable. So I sent a text asking the man I had just had sex with if he was HIV positive, to which he answered, yes. I freaked out and went inmediately to the internet and did some research. I read about PEP, so the next morning I went to the clinic and I was placed on – Truvada 200 mg, Norvir 100 mg and Reyataz 300 mg. This was 36 hours after the incident.
I have had no side effects. But for the last two days, I have felt as if I have some fever. I tested my temperature and it is within the normal parameters of 98.2 and 98.7. Please tell me do I have a shot to be well? The person I had sex with told me that his viral count is below 40. Please help.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
I am sorry to know that you are distressed. What is important is that you have taken the right steps to giving yourself a chance of remaining  uninfected. PEP is effective the earlier that you take it and should be taken within 72 hours of being exposed to HIV. You started PEP within that time frame.
Additionally, as the person who you had sex with is on treatment with an undetectable viral load, then your chances of an HIV infection are much more reduced than if that person was not on treatment.
If you take the PEP as prescribed this will reduce the small chance that you were exposed to HIV.
Symptoms do not occur this soon after an exposure.
Good luck.
Hi Kingsley, I hope that you also took time to support this person when they found out they were HIV positive. PEP is very effective and you started this early enough for it to work.
I had sex without condom within a lady who was hiv positive but never knew about it. She told me the man who gave her the hiv the she knows when it happened that is around 3 months back. Immediately I rush to the hospital and was place on pep which was about 40 hours of my exposure what are my chances of testing negative
Hi Tom, the likelihood of transmission is very low in this case. There are a number of factors you have mentioned that are protective against HIV.
Only 1 minute being unprotected (the condom broke), you are circumcised, being the insertive partner and starting PEP within 72 hours. There is a very low risk of transmission. You can test 6 weeks after PEP has finished to be sure using a 4th generation antigen/antibody test.
Please follow this link for more information about testing and transmission: https://i-base.info/qa/factsheets/hiv-transmission-and-testing
I had a protected vaginal sex with a woman whose status was unknown. The condom broke and I took one minute and ejaculated on her before withdrawal. we agreed to take a HIV rapid test immediately and she was positive while I was negative. I told her that we had to get to a HIV clinic immediately where I was confirmed to be still negative and her positive I was put on one pill of pep for 28 days once daily while she was put on ceptrin. I am also circumcised. My partner viral load was to be checked on a later date and she had not been on treatment prior to the incident. What are my chances of not getting HIV? kindly assist because I have a wife whom I don’t want to have sex with at the moment until I am safe.
Hi Lebo,
How is this women doing? Do you know if she has access to treatment and support?
No one has the right to make another person take an HIV test. This is unethical and could be seen as abuse.
Good day
I need a clarity, I was on PEP (Reydin) and completed my 4 week course, then I after 6 days I stopped using PEP I paid a woman to have sex with me who assured me that she was HIV negative, then the following day I came with HIV test kit and she tested positive and I tested negative I started PEP after 25 hours. Can PEP save me, this is really cruelling and regret my bad decision my life has stopped from that point I learned she is HIV Positive
Hi Maluka, unfortunately PEP is not known to work past 72 hours of exposure, however it is likely that you don’t need to be on PEP. You have mentioned your partner has been on treatment for the last 4 years. This is suggestive that she is undetectable, meaning she cannot pass on HIV via sex. This is explained by U=U: https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/ If her viral load is below 200, U=U can be applied and there is no risk. Furthermore there are a number of factors that change the risk of transmission which is explained here: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/risks-for-transmission
am on my tenth day with pEp since i had condomless sex with hiv positive one , she is on treatment in 4 years now..although i starded pEp in 80 hours after incident , is pEp gonna work ?
Hi Brizzy, did you use a condom? If you did there is no risk of transmission. If you do not, it is possible but very unlikely. This is because in this time you do not know your status (a test during PEP does not work) and if PEP has worked.
This would be considered very low risk, and if based in the UK would not be given PEP (your friend). While on PEP most people often abstain from sex or use further precautions (e.g., a condom) to prevent potential transmission. This risk also changes based on the type of sex you were having, more information about this can be found here: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/risks-for-transmission
Am on my 17th day on pep and yesterday I had slept with my best friend had sex but we tested and both of us were negative. Could I infect him since am in pep? Kindly assist