After you've taken PEP

After you've finished your course of PEP there are a few things left to do and consider before you're in the clear. It might be worth thinking about steps that you can take to safeguard your sexual health more effectively in the future.

HIV testing

After you have finished your course of PEP, you will need to go for an HIV test to see whether it has worked. Remember that PEP isn’t guaranteed to work, although it has a very high success rate for people who take it correctly. Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will tell you how to do this.

You will need to wait 12 weeks after you finish your course of PEP before going back to your clinic to take your HIV test.

STI testing

If you have been at risk from HIV, there is a chance you have been at risk of picking up other STIs as well. Many of these have no symptoms, so the only way to know for sure if you have an STI or not is by having a sexual health check-up. You could ask the nurse to do this when you are having your HIV test.

Talking to someone

Both while you are taking PEP and for the 12 weeks afterwards while you are waiting for your HIV test, you may feel like you want to talk to someone. Health advisers at the clinic where you received PEP should be available to talk about any issues that might come up in this period after finishing the medication.

Safer sex

During this time it is important that, when you have sex, you keep having safer sex, since it will be unclear as to whether HIV is still in your body or not. Until you are sure that HIV infection has not occurred (through having an HIV test) you could risk passing HIV onto your partners if you have unprotected sex.