POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: visitor001 on July 25, 2009, 05:10:02 pm
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yeah, stupid i know and believe me I wish it never happened. My question is should I do the PEP treatment? This occurred about 12 hours ago, how long do I have and how do I get started?
Please help, I am worried sick!
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No, I would not recommend PEP in relation to this incident. HIV is a fragile virus and not easily transmitted. It is significantly more difficult to accomplish from female to male. Given this was a single incident and given your state of drunkeness, likely brief in duration, even IF the woman is HIV+, the risk of transmission was low.
PEP is a highly potent drug combination and often has side effects. I don't consider yours to have been the kind of high risk experience that warrants using PEP. I will just mention that if you decide you want to do it anyway, you need to start it within 48-72 hours after a risk, and the earlier the better the chances of it being effective. But again I don't think it's necessary. You just have to make the decision yourself about whether to request it or not.
For future reference, you can have intercourse with anyone you want to whether a professional or a civilian and regardless of their HIV status. You just need to do it soberly and always without exception use a latex condom. That way you will well protected against HIV.
Cheers.
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thank you for your reply Andy, your words are wise and seem to have a calm soothing effect. I do feel a little better now...
I am wondering though If one did choose PEP treatment is it up to the patient, the doctor, or insurance company for who can receive this treatment? do you have to have insurance? and where do you go? to the emeregency room?
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The doctor.
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Visitor,
PEP is not recommended under the circumstances you describe. (unprotected insertive vaginal intercourse) No doctor who knows the guidelines will prescribe PEP for you.
If you'd bothered to use condoms, you would not be in this situation. I hope you learn from this - and not the hard way.
Ann
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Rod, Ann, thank you for the replies.
Ann, I am well aware that I would not be in this situation IF the circumstances were different. However, this is not the case. The reason I am posting to this board, is because I slipped up. Plain and simple.
anyhow... Why is it PEP is not recommend for my exposure? This is not just a theoretical risk. is it?
I hear these drugs are quite nasty but, isnt a month or two of taking these drugs better than having to take them for alot longer?
Does anyone know the guidelines for administering this treatment or where to find the info?
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The guidelines state, "an exposure with a Known person that is HIV positive."
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Visitor,
Hiv is a fragile, difficult to transmit virus and more so from a woman to a man. It's highly unlikely that you'll end up positive from a one-time vaginal exposure with a person of unknown hiv status. The hiv community knows this from over 25 years of watching and studying this pandemic. This is why PEP isn't recommended in a case like yours. It's unnecessary. We're not making this up. The official guidelines in both the US and the UK are to not give PEP in your situation.
Ann