Many of us have had sex that we regret.
With any luck, we can write it off as inconsequential, swipe left and move on to the next adventure.
I like sex, and I do my best to keep it sensible, if not safe… But a recent hookup with a guy on scruff left me worried about a potential exposure to HIV after a night of alcohol, pot and unprotected sex.
After he disclosed to me that he had had a recent risky exposure to HIV, I did a quick bit of research, and I decided to go on a course of the HIV preventative medication, PEP.
PEP medication involves taking a course of antiretroviral medicines after a potential exposure to HIV. It needs to be started within 72 hours of exposure and is taken once or twice daily for 28 days.
Initially I was hesitant to go on PEP after reading others’ experiences of the treatment. But in the end, my need for peace of mind outweighed my fears about the treatment. THe morning after my possible exposure, I attended my local sexual health clinic, answered a couple of sexual health questions, and was prescribed a 28-day course of PEP.
I felt more anxious than usual for the first few days on the medication, however, this may have been a side effect of googling other peoples ‘experiences on the drugs.
The first noticeable sides effects came after three days on the drug. Despite taking the two pills at a regular time with food as directed, I had a little nausea and a rock-hard feeling in my stomach. The brief waves of nausea passed after four or five days and the stomach discomfort came and went throughout the four weeks. Aside from the stomach discomfort, I felt a little more tired than usual and had some difficulty focusing on complex tasks at times. It probably wasn’t as bad as it sounds, especially when you consider the peace of mind I was investing into.
Twenty eight days later, I am relieved to have finished the treatment and keen to get my follow up HIV tests. I’m going to look into getting on PrEP as a more long term protection.
While the sex was a little regrettable, getting treatment fast definitely wasn’t.
