[Question #12683] Question about PEP
6 months ago
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Hello- I (male)am new hear and would appreciate thoughts about risk to my partner. Here is my timeline:
October 2023 - had unprotected risky with another male. Got on PEP within 48 hours.
November 2023- had sex with a woman while I was still taking pep.
December 2023- finished PEP and tested negative
January 2025- still testing negative
1. Could I have had hiv in my system that transmitted to my female partner while I was taking pep?
2. Could I have infected her even though all of my tests are still negative?
3. I was still been having unprotected sex with my female partner throughout 2024. If she was infected from our encounter in 2023, isn’t it likely that I would be positive for hiv?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
6 months ago
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Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for your questions and your implied confidence in our service. I'll be glad to comment. Going straight to your questions"
1. Could I have had hiv in my system that transmitted to my female partner while I was taking pep?
There is a myth on the internet that persons who are on PEP and then test negative can still infect sexual partners while taking PEP. That is absolutely, 100% untrue. You did not put your partner at risk when you had sex with her while taking PEP.
2. Could I have infected her even though all of my tests are still negative?
Absolutely not
3. I was still been having unprotected sex with my female partner throughout 2024. If she was infected from our encounter in 2023, isn’t it likely that I would be positive for hiv?
Yes it is.
Bottom line. You were not infected in the Nov 2023 encounter that you describe. Your were not infected and you could not have infected your female partner. You are completely in the clear and there is no need for further testing related to this encounter.
I hope this information is helpful. EWH
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6 months ago
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Thank you- this provides me with much reassurance. I read that PEP prevents hiv in 2 ways: stopping it from turning from RNA into DNA, and stopping it from integrating into the host’s DNA. Questions;
1. Is it possible that some of the virus integrated in my DNA, infected my partner, then was killed in my system from the PEP? Or is this biologically impossible?
2. Is there any need, from a medical and preventative standpoint, to tell my partner that I had sex with her while I was on PEP in November 2023?
3. I read that PEP works by quickly killing any virus that enters my body. Is it possible that there was some virus in my body that transmitted to my partner before the PEP had the chance to kill it?
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Edward W. Hook M.D.
6 months ago
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PEP stops the infection from beginning in any way
1. No, this is not a scientific possibility.
2. No
3. This is repetitive. The answer is not going to change. The answer is an emphatic no
My sense is that you may have been reading about the actions of PEP on the Internet. If you are, please stop. You were being misled . You have nothing to worry about. It’s time to move forward. EWH.
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