Planned Parenthood

Someone asked us:

Is there a morning after pill for HIV?

This is a great question! The short answer is “kinda but not really.”

There are medicines that help prevent HIV after someone has been exposed, called Post-exposure Prophylaxis, or PEP. Sometimes people think of PEP as “morning-after pills for HIV,” because it can be started up to three days after being exposed to HIV – but that’s where most of the similarities end. 

So how is PEP different from the morning-after pill (aka Plan B or emergency contraception)?

Unlike emergency contraception (which is just one or two pills taken over the course of one day), PEP consists of 2-3 different drugs that must be taken for 28 days.

Even after completing the treatment, you would need to be regularly tested for HIV for about 6 months after exposure.

The tricky part about all this is that many people don’t know if or when they’ve been exposed to the virus. According to the CDC, 1 in 6 people with HIV don’t even realize they’re infected.  PEP is a pretty involved medical process that you really need a doctor to help monitor. It’s not something everyone can pick up at the drugstore and take after unprotected sex, “just in case.” 

And remember: if you’re sexually active, always use condoms, get tested regularly, and encourage partners to do the same. If you or your partner is living with HIV/AIDS, ask your doctor how you can manage the risk of exposure in your relationship and reduce the chances of spreading the infection. 

-Mylanie at Planned Parenthood