HIV PEP
HIV PEP
If taken within 72 hours (three days) of exposure, HIV PEP can reduce the chance of you getting HIV.
Emergency protection against HIV
HIV PEP is a medication for emergency HIV prevention, taken after a possible exposure. PEP is short for “post-exposure prophylaxis”.
If you think you may have been exposed to HIV (during sex without a condom, or if the condom broke, or by sharing needles), HIV PEP needs to be taken as soon as possible.
What is HIV PEP for?
If you have been exposed to HIV, taking HIV PEP can reduce the chance of getting HIV.
It needs to be taken within 72 hours (three days) of exposure to HIV. To be most effective, HIV PEP needs to be taken as soon as possible. If it’s been more than 72 hours since you were exposed to HIV, you won’t be prescribed HIV PEP.
HIV PEP is for people who think they’ve been exposed to HIV.
This means having unprotected sex (especially receiving anal sex) or sharing needles with someone who has HIV – or might have HIV. This could include having sex without a condom, or the condom slipping off or breaking.
Once someone with HIV has been on treatment with undetectable levels of HIV for six months, there’s no risk they will pass on HIV through sex. This is known as U=U (undetectable = untransmissible).
HIV PEP is only for emergencies. Other ways to protect yourself from HIV or other sexually transmissible infections (STIs) include having safer sex and taking HIV PrEP or doxy-PEP.
Where can I get HIV PEP?
You’ll need to talk to a doctor to get HIV PEP. Your local sexual health service is the best place to go, because the clinicians there have the most experience prescribing this medication. You can also go to your regular medical centre, an after-hours clinic, or the emergency department.
If you’re prescribed HIV PEP, you may be able to get it directly from the doctor who prescribed it to you – or you may have to go to a pharmacy.
How much does HIV PEP cost?
In Aotearoa New Zealand, HIV PEP is a publicly funded medication.
This means that if you’re eligible for publicly funded healthcare, and your doctor prescribes you HIV PEP, you’ll be able to pick up your prescription at a pharmacy and pay the same price as you would for any other prescribed medication. For some people, this will mean paying $5. For others, it might be free.
To find out about accessing PEP, take a look at the Burnett Foundation website:
Does HIV PEP protect against other STIs?
No. Although PEP is effective against HIV in emergency situations, it does not prevent any other STIs like syphilis, chlamydia, or gonorrhoea.
Other ways to protect yourself from HIV or other STIs include having safer sex and taking HIV PrEP or doxy-PEP.
Do I need an STI test?
Lots of STIs don’t have symptoms, so people don’t know they have them and don’t get treated quickly. This can lead to serious health problems. Get tested regularly to look after your health – and the health of your whānau, sexual contacts and partners.