Sometimes no matter how good our intentions or how much we want to stay in control we end up slipping up and fucking without a condom.

If this happens, or if a condom breaks or slips off during sex, there is now a treatment that may prevent HIV infection, even after the virus has entered the body. It is called Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP)

The facts on PEP:

• PEP is a course of anti-HIV drugs
• PEP drugs have to be taken every day for one month
• To be effective, PEP should be started as soon as possible after exposure to HIV, and no later than 72 hours after exposure
• Many people who have undergone PEP have experienced unpleasant side effects. The most common side effects from PEP medications are nausea and generally not feeling well. Other possible side effects include headaches, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Depending on the drugs being used, PEP can occasionally have more serious side effects such as life-threatening rashes and acute liver problems. the drugs used for PEP are usually selected on what is most tolerable, although this is not always the case.
• PEP drugs need to be taken at specific times of the day; some with food some without.

If you have had unsafe sex, or if a condom slipped off or broke then accessing PEP may be an option for you. Follow the links below for more information about PEP and to find out where to get PEP. (Note: some states/territories call it Non-Occupational Post Exposure Prophylaxis or NPEP)

Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
Queensland (PDF 84 KB)
Victoria
Western Australia


(Note: For information on the availability of PEP in Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia please contact your local AIDS Council)

Testing:

You should consider an HIV test if:

• You have never been tested for HIV; or
• You were HIV negative at your last test, but since then have had anal sex without a condom, with someone whose HIV status you did not know, or who was HIV-positive.

For more information on HIV testing, and information about where you can go to get a test (website is currently under construction - either contact your local AIDS Council or visit http://www.acshp.org.au/sexual_health/clinics/default.htm to find your nearest sexual health clinic).

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