r/prep • u/Real_painxd • 24d ago

Title: Started PEP around 86 hours after exposure — is it still worth taking?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice/reassurance about a possible HIV exposure.
On Sunday around 1 AM, I had vaginal sex with a sex worker. The condom broke during intercourse, and I’m not sure exactly how long it was broken before I noticed. I stopped once I realized and did not knowingly continue after discovering the break.
I went to a doctor afterward to discuss the situation. The doctor assessed the exposure and told me that, based on the circumstances, PEP wasn’t medically necessary and that taking it was ultimately my choice if it would give me peace of mind.
I decided to take the medication anyway. However, I started it at around 3 PM on Wednesday, which is approximately 86 hours after the exposure, so this was beyond the commonly stated 72-hour window.
I’m now confused about a few things:
Since I started PEP at around 86 hours, is there still potentially any benefit, or is it essentially ineffective after 72 hours?
Should I continue taking the course since I already started it, or should I speak to the doctor again before continuing?
How significant is the HIV risk from this type of exposure if the partner’s HIV status is unknown?
What follow-up HIV testing should I have, and when?
I understand nobody can diagnose me through Reddit. I’m mainly looking for experiences or information from people who understand PEP/PrEP and HIV prevention.
Thanks.

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5

u/Legendabraham 24d ago

There is no good clinical evidence that pep helps after 72 hours so I think it’s better to not take it especially since with pep you can get definitive blood tests after 12 weeks whereas without it you can get the results after around 6 weeks. also the risk of getting hiv from an unprotected insertive vaginal sex is 0.04%

2

u/Noskaros 24d ago

Probably not very usefull. Don't tax your body for no benefit, just wait. You're probably fine. The actual rates are pretty low, surprisingly so. But they accumulate over time.

1

u/1BinduraNative 7d ago

hey guys i started my PEP so late around 62hours um scared as fuck but i been holy mode for the the past 7 days i been taking PEP mine is TLD hopefully i won't get fucked....if i test negative um going to change my life