Things sometimes go wrong when having safer sex. Condoms can break or come off. Sometimes they are simply forgotten in the heat of the moment.

The risk of an HIV transmission is particularly high if one of the sex partners is HIV positive. There is no need to panic however: an HIV infection can probably still be avoided.

In this case HIV medication is taken for four weeks. The drugs prevent HIV from permanently taking hold in the body. This treatment is called Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, PEP for short, literally translated "after-risk prevention.”

Please note: PEP has to be started as soon as possible after a recent possible exposure to HIV. Preferably within two hours, possibly within 24 hours, but certainly no later than 48 hours. Whether or not PEP can still be useful within 72 hours (three days) of the incident is controversial.

In Hamburg you can get PEP at these clinics:

AK St. Georg
Notaufnahme und Im ifi Haus L
Lohmühlenstr. 5
20099 Hamburg
(040) 1818-85 2263

Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf (UKE)
Medizinische Notaufnahme Haus O10
Martinistr. 52
20246 Hamburg
(040) 42803-2040