PEP is available free on the NHS but it is only given to people who meet national guidelines about its use. These guidelines help doctors decide who might be offered PEP and in which circumstances.
PEP involves powerful and expensive drugs that have side effects. To make sure it isn’t given to people with no real risk of infection, if you want PEP you will be asked questions about:
- the person you had sex with (and the chances that person had HIV)
- what kind of sex happened (vaginal, oral, anal)
- and if the other person definitely had HIV, what was their ‘viral load’ (if this is known)?
To help you work out if PEP is appropriate for you or someone you’ve had sex with you can call THT Direct on 0808 802 1221 or complete this online risk assessment.
The best place to go for PEP is a sexual health (GUM) clinic or an HIV clinic. These are usually open only during the week and only during office hours. If you need PEP over the weekend or during a public holiday the best place to go is the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of a hospital. A&E departments never close but there is no guarantee that an A&E will agree to give someone PEP. PEP is not usually available from GPs (family doctors).
Find your nearest sexual health clinic.
Once a doctor has considered your risk, a decision will be made about whether PEP is appropriate. If so, you must first have an HIV test. This makes sure that you don’t already have HIV; if you do, taking PEP is not the right treatment you need.
Sometimes people face obstacles when asking for PEP. Medical staff or receptionists may not know about it or give out incorrect information such as ‘PEP is not available to the general public’. If this happens, ask to speak to the ‘on-call HIV doctor’ who will know all about PEP. If you have nearby options, you could go to another hospital. You can call THT Direct on the above number for help and advice.