Question
I am taking PEP, can I have uprotected sex?
14 February 2012. Related: All topics, PEP/PEPSE.
I’ve been taking lamzid for 5 days now and I want to find out how this will
affect my pregnant partner when we have unprotected sex?
I am taking lamzid because I slept with someone without a condom and I felt
very unsafe so I went to the doctor within 72 hours and he prescribed lamzid for me.
My pregnant partner is only 7weeks pregnant will this harm our baby?
Answer
There is no data on whether PEP can harm the unborn baby. However, unprotected sex whilst you are taking PEP is not recommended. This is because you don’t know your status and you could infect your partner. That is why it is important to wait until you finish the course and have done the follow-up confirmatory test.
For more information on PEP and the risks of sexual transmission, please follow this link to our guide.
Best wishes
Hi Kwazi,
Him being on treatment and you starting PEP within the required time window will both reduce the risk of you having HIV. It is very unlikely you have HIV based on this one encounter and you doing everything right afterwards. Have you now finished your course of PEP? If you are still anxious you can take a test in 4 weeks which should settle your anxiety. Further information on testing and feeling anxious can be found here: https://i-base.info/guides/testing/hiv-testing-feelings-of-fear-anxiety-and-guilt
Thank you for your response but I am not sure about his viral load. As he doesn’t know it himself and the lifestyle he lives is not up to a standard of someone who is consistent with his medication. That is why I am freaking out.
Dear Given, there is not data to answer this sort of question. PEP is not an exact science. The best guess is that a month is best. You can stop and start PEP if you want to, but the protection will not be the same.
Hi I bring using pep for 19 days but stopped using it a week later I had unprotected sex after the exposure I continued taking my pep pills what’s the risk of getting hiv
Hi Rose, two of the meds in PEP with have worked as PrEP. This means you will have been protected against HIV and you don’t need more PEP.
Please talk to your doctor about this though. This is because it might be good to learn about PrEP, in case this can help you in the future. See this Guide to PrEP:
https://i-base.info/guides/prep
Hi, I had unprotected sex whilst on my 18th day of PEP (dolutegravur,lamivudine and tenefovir disoprixil fumarate tablets)
Should I get another dosage after this? What are my chances of not catching HIV?
Hi HMD, are you worried about your wife being at risk from HIV? If yes, then this is too soon after your own risk for HIV to be infectious, even if there is an infection. Please continue the PEP but using condoms with your wife until you know your HIV test results 4-6 weeks after the PEP is ended.
Can some one have unprotected sex with his wife who is HIV negative while taking PEP for just 5days?
Hi Kwazi,
If the man who you had unprotected sex with is on treatment and has an undetectable viral load there’s no risk. Please see here:
https://i-base.info/u-equals-u/
What this means is that you didn’t need to take PEP.
With regards to the PEP, if there was a risk, you took this within the 72hr window.
I had an unprotected sex with a male who came inside and then found out he is hiv positive but on treatment (ARV) I was given pep at 36hours and this is my 4th week taking it, I’m just wondering if it will work. Stressed, depressed and having anxiety.