How long after exposure can I start PEP?

As soon as possible, and no later than 72 hours. The earlier it starts the better it works, and after 72 hours it is no longer offered — so go the same day rather than waiting.

Where can I get PEP in South Africa?

Free at public clinics, hospital emergency departments, and Thuthuzela Care Centres. After a sexual assault you do not have to open a police case to receive care.

How long do I take PEP for?

28 days, every day. Finishing the full course is what makes it effective, and there is a follow-up HIV test afterwards that gives you the result.

Health library

HIV & TB

PEP – what to do within 72 hours of HIV exposure

Emergency HIV medicine after a condom breaks, a sexual assault or a needlestick. Where to go, why the 72-hour window is absolute, and what the course involves.

Go today — the window is 72 hours

PEP is a course of HIV medicines taken for 28 days by someone who is HIV negative, after a specific exposure that has already happened. It is emergency treatment, not something to plan around.

When PEP applies

Sexual assault or rape. Go to a Thuthuzela Care Centre or hospital, where you will also be offered emergency contraception, treatment to prevent other infections, and support. You do not have to open a police case to receive care.
A condom that broke or slipped with a partner whose status you do not know, or who is not virally suppressed.
Sex without a condom where there is a real risk of exposure.
A needlestick injury or a splash of blood to broken skin, the eyes or the mouth — at work or otherwise.
Sharing injecting equipment.

The 28 days

PEP is taken every day for 28 days. Finishing the whole course is what makes it work; stopping early because you feel fine, or because the side effects are unpleasant, undoes it.

The kind of regimen used for PEP in South Africa:

Tenofovir / Lamivudine / Dolutegravir (TDF/3TC/DTG) — Dovato TLD
HIV-1 infection — first-line regimen (alternative FDC)

Take it at the same time every day. Set a reminder — 28 days is long enough to forget and short enough that every dose counts.
Tell the clinic if side effects are making it hard. Nausea and headache are common early and there are things that help; the answer is rarely to stop.
Use condoms and avoid donating blood until your follow-up testing is complete.
Go back for the follow-up HIV test after the course. This is the test that gives you the answer, so do not skip it.
Ask about PrEP at that visit if the exposure risk is ongoing. PEP is for one event; PrEP is for a situation.

Common questions

How long after exposure can I start PEP?: As soon as possible, and no later than 72 hours. The earlier it starts the better it works, and after 72 hours it is no longer offered — so go the same day rather than waiting.
Where can I get PEP in South Africa?: Free at public clinics, hospital emergency departments, and Thuthuzela Care Centres. After a sexual assault you do not have to open a police case to receive care.
How long do I take PEP for?: 28 days, every day. Finishing the full course is what makes it effective, and there is a follow-up HIV test afterwards that gives you the result.

Sources

National Consolidated Guidelines for the Management of HIV in Adults, Adolescents, Children and InfantsNational Department of Health, South Africa
National clinical guidelines and policy libraryNational Department of Health, South Africa
Clinical and public health guidanceWorld Health Organization
Medicines Online Directory and approved patient information leafletsSouth African Health Products Regulatory Authority

Last reviewed 11 August 2026.

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