Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV prevention
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV prevention
All about PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis)
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is a course of antiviral medication to
prevent HIV infection
if you think you have been exposed to the virus.
View transcript
Video courtesy Thorne Harbour Health
When to take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis)
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis):
must be started within 72 hours of HIV exposure
be taken correctly as prescribed over a 28-day treatment period
dosage is usually 1 tablet taken daily (in some circumstances, a combination of 2 or 3 tablets taken daily).
What PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is used for
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is taken after a known or suspected exposure to HIV to prevent HIV infection.
Examples of known or suspected exposure to HIV may include:
Condom
- less sex with a person whose HIV status you don’t know or who has HIV and is not on treatment.
Where a condom has broken or failed during sex.
Sharing needles or other injecting equipment.
If exposure to HIV is through a person with HIV who has an undetectable viral load, PEP is not recommended, as there is no risk of transmission.
Where to get PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis)
If you think you have been exposed to HIV, do not wait for an appointment to see a GP. Call the
PEP info line at the Victorian HIV Prevention
Service
External Link
(Tel.
1800 889 887
) for guidance and information about where to find your closest PEP provider.
Your PEP provider will ask you a series of questions to determine your risk and whether PEP is appropriate.
PEP is available from:
the emergency department of most public hospitals
sexual health clinics
some general practice clinics which specialise in sexual health.
If the exposure happens ‘after hours’, emergency departments are often the best place to go to start PEP as soon as possible.
PEP is widely available in Victoria and further information can be found at:
GetPEP
External Link
provides a comprehensive list of places where you can get PEP throughout Victoria and the rest of Australia.
Victorian NPEP Service, Alfred
Health
External Link
– information and advice for people seeking PEP.
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) possible side effects
PEP can cause severe side effects in some people. These include:
nausea and vomiting
headaches
an upset stomach
diarrhoea
fatigue
or tiredness.
Important things to know about PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis)
Important things to remember about PEP:
Must be started within 72 hours of potential exposure.
Must be taken every day for 28 days to work.
It does not protect against other
sexually transmissible infections (STIs)
– such as
syphilis
,
gonorrhoea
and
chlamydia
.
Is not a morning-after pill (known as
emergency contraception
) that makes it easy and safe to have sex without a condom.
Get yourself tested for STIs, and treated if necessary, by your local GP (doctor).
Other HIV prevention options
There are many easy and effective ways to prevent HIV. Other than PEP, HIV transmission can also be prevented by:
Using condoms
(including
female or internal condoms
) with water or silicone-based lubricant during anal or vaginal sex.
Using clean, sterile injecting equipment.
Taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
– for people at risk of HIV transmission.
Achieving and maintaining “undetectable” HIV viral loads (U=U) if you have HIV by taking HIV antiretroviral treatment (ART) as prescribed.
Depending on your risk factors and lifestyle, you may be more suited to other HIV prevention methods. It is important to find the right prevention method (or combination of methods) that works for you and your sexual partners.
If you have used PEP more than once, you may wish to talk to your GP about starting pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP for HIV prevention.
PrEP is a pill taken once a day and is 99% effective at preventing HIV transmission if taken consistently as prescribed.
For more information visit or call the
Victorian PrEP Service, Alfred
Health
External Link
on
1800 889 887
.
Where to get help
Your
GP (doctor)
Your local community health service
Sexual Health Victoria
(SHV)
External Link
. To book an appointment call SHV Melbourne CBD Clinic:
(03) 9660 4700
or call SHV Box Hill Clinic:
(03) 9257 0100
or (free call):
1800 013 952
. These services are youth friendly.
Melbourne Sexual Health
Centre
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9341 6200
or
1800 032 017
or TTY (for the hearing impaired)
(03) 9347 8619
Get
PEP
External Link
If you believe you may have been exposed to HIV. Tel.
1800 889 887
Living Positive
Victoria
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9863 8733
Positive Women
Victoria
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9863 8747
Victorian HIV Service, Alfred
Health
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9076 5436
Positive Living
Centre
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9863 0444
or
1800 622 795
(for country callers)
Multicultural Health and Support
Service
External Link
, Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health Tel.
(03) 9418 9929
Thorne Harbour
Health
External Link
(formerly Victorian AIDS Council) Tel.
(03) 9865 6700
or
1800 134 840
Equinox Gender Diverse Health
Centre
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9416 2889
PRONTO!
External Link
Tel.
(03) 9416 2889
Ballarat Community Health Sexual Health
Clinic
External Link
Tel.
(03) 5338 4500
Bendigo Community Health Sexual Health
Clinic
External Link
Tel.
(03) 5434 4300
Or
(03) 5448 1600
Gateway Health Clinic
35
External Link
, Wodonga Tel.
(02) 6022 8888
or
1800 657 573
Sunraysia Community Health
Services
External Link
Tel.
(03) 5022 5444
Barwon Health Sexual Health
Clinic
External Link
Tel.
(03) 5226 7489
Women’s sexual and reproductive health hubs
(throughout Victoria)