I forgot to take PrEP, what should I do?

This depends on the time and your intake schedule.

You use PrEP daily

• If it is less than 12 hours after you usually take PrEP, you should take a pill as soon as possible.
• If you are more than 12 hours late, skip the dose you missed and take the next scheduled dose as normal. You don’t need to take 2 pills. Forgetting 1 pill in your daily intake schedule will not have an effect on your protection.
• If you forget to take more than 1 pill, you may not be adequately protected against HIV. In this case, we advise you to contact your doctor.

If you use PrEP before and after sex

• Forgot to take your pills before sex:

  • If you forgot to take one or two pills before sex, you will not be protected against HIV.
  • If you did take two pills, but had sex less than two hours after taking the pills, you will not be protected against HIV.
• – Forgot to take your pills after sex:

  • If it is less than 12 hours after you usually take PrEP, you should take a pill as soon as possible.
  • If you are more than 12 hours too late, or you forgot to take your PrEP on both days, you will not be protected against HIV.

Did you have sex without PrEP? Or did you take PrEP incorrectly? If you are not protected against HIV and you had anal sex without a condom with someone whose HIV status you don’t know, or with someone who is HIV positive and is not receiving treatment, contact us as soon as possible. You may need to be treated with PEP. This is a four-week course that you need to start within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. For additional information on PEP, please visit our PEP page.