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, how much weight have you lost? Have you been able to speak to anyone about your current situation? Having an abortion and being stressed/anxious can both contribute to inability to gain weight. The anxiety you have mentioned about waiting for a test result is much more likely the cause of this instead of an acute HIV infection. The lymph node you have mentioned could be a number of things inc. a cyst or dislodged cartilage. Are you able to mention this to your doctor when you go to your appointment?
Yes I have lost weight, I don’t know whether the cause was the abortion I had and a bad break and stress and anxiety due to hiv but I did lose weight.. I’m eating as much as I can but I don’t seem to gain any weight. And I have a moving small like pea size Lymph node in front of my ear I only feel it when I touch it. I haven’t test I am still waiting for January to end so I can test so the rapid test will be conclusive. I didn’t test after 6 weeks or during pep.
Hi Kwazi, this is not the chronic stage of HIV. Have you been able to have a test yet? Are you actively trying to gain weight? Depending on what you are doing, gaining weight can be a slow process. Have you been losing any weight?
All the pain and fever are gone but I can’t seem to gain weight. I’m three weeks away from my test. Is this the chronic infection stage of HIv
Hi Kwazi, that’s great. If you do have any other questions in the meantime just ask.
Hi Josh, I didn’t get time to go to the clinic I’m planning on going on Monday,and I think they only offer rapid tests but I’ll hear when I get there.
Hi Mzabalaza, the 28 days should be from the most recent exposure. As you had sex 5 days into your course of PEP, the course should have been extended 5 days for the best success of PEP. However given that you were already on PEP, and did complete a significant amount of the full course for the second exposure your likelihood does still remain very low.
Hi.
On the 5th day of taking PEP, I had unprotected sex with someone I have discovered that is HIV positive.I continued taking PEP till they finished in 28 days.Is there a chance that I can test positive?
Hi Kwazi, as you have mentioned in your previous comment, going to a health clinic will help you most. They will be able to have an idea what is coursing your mix of symptoms and hopefully manage it.
Thank you for your response, I am also experiencing nausea and I can’t eat I don’t know whether it’s due to the high temperature and overall lack of energy from my body.