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 Phephile, do you know the HIV status of your first partner? If they tested negative on the tests that they have had there is no reason to be on PEP.
While you are both on PEP, there is no risk of transmission. In this case PEP for yourself was started within an effective timeframe. While your partner is on PEP this prevents their own risk of transmission.
Has your other partner had any risk? Using HIV medication to prevent transmission rather than after an exposure is called PrEP. This is a similar medication but contains fewer drugs. PrEP can be taken for as long as you want and it is not a course – unlike PEP. PrEP: https://i-base.info/guides/prep
I had sex with someone who is hiv positive but only tested her 3 times after sex, i got on PEP within 42hours.
My other partner who is negative has also been taking the PEP medication the day i started too incase we ever choose to have sex.
If both of us are on PEP, are there any risks if we had sex without protection ?
Hi Lawre, Bioflox tablets are not used as PEP. Bioflox are antibiotics which are used to treat other infections. Bioflox will not prevent HIV transmission.
PEP needs to be started within 72 hours of the exposure. Anytime after that the effectiveness of PEP working is greatly reduced.
Hie please can you help me I had a sex 2 days ago and I go to pharmacy they giving me a bioflox tablets. After this course can I start pep
Hi Tanner, your doctor is correct – chances are lower when you are the insertive (top) partner. Do you know if your parter was on medication for HIV? If so it is likely they are unable to pass on HIV.
PEP has been studied to work if started within 3 days. The benefit of taking PEP after 3 days is not known however if you are more comfortable taking PEP it would be sensible to continue to do so. What you have mentioned would suggest this to be a low risk exposure and continuing with your course of PEP will only help reduce risk. A course for 28 days is not going to have any negative impact on your health.
Hello,
So I recently had sex with someone who was HIV positive but didn’t know he was. I’m also a male but I topped him, my doctor told me the chances are lowered if you were a top because tissues aren’t tearing. They put me on PEP but I was told it has a higher chance before 3 days. I am on Day 4, is it too late for me? What are my chances of catching anything.
Hi Vicky, I am sorry to hear about this exposure. While on PEP it is usually recommended to not have sex without a condom as you are unsure of your status. Have you explained to your husband that there may be a risk without using a condom?
Though in this instance, PEP should work to prevent transmission. Would your husband consider PrEP while you are unsure? This is a medication he could take to prevent any risk of transmission and it would be safe to have sex without a condom. PrEP: https://i-base.info/guides/prep
İ got an occupational exposure to hiv and started pep my husband is hiv negative and he needs sex (unprotected sex ) is it safe for us ?
Hi Keith, you used a condom so there is no risk of HIV. Your doctor should have told you this and they should not have given you PEP. In the same way as if you use a condom now, there will be no risk, whether or not you are on PEP.
Hi there, am Keith I had sex and used a condom but later few mins found out she was hiv positive . Was scared after because somewhere I used orally. Am on pep for the 2 day, can I have live sex while on medication?