HIV PEP in Taichung: start within 72 hours, 28 days, follow-up tests
A condom broke. There was sex without a condom. You do not know the other person’s HIV status. You shared needles or other injecting equipment. Any of these may be an HIV exposure.
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) means anti-HIV medicines that you start soon after the exposure and take for 28 days. The aim is to lower the risk of infection.
Explained by Dr. Chao-An Chen, urologist, at 昭安泌尿科診所 (Morning Urology Clinic), West District, Taichung.
Still within 72 hours? Send us three things on LINE now.
1. The date and approximate time of the exposure.
2. The type of contact: condom or no condom, did it break, any bleeding.
3. The other person’s HIV status: known positive, known negative, or unknown.
The 72 hours start at the moment of the exposure, not when you started to worry. With these three answers, the doctor can judge whether you should come to the clinic today.
Send the three answers on LINEIn short
- Time limit: start within 24 hours if possible, and no later than 72 hours.
- Course: 28 days in a row. Stopping early leaves too little medicine in the blood.
- Tests: blood is taken before the first dose, but the first dose does not wait for the results.
- Cost: after sex or another non-work exposure, PEP is fully self-paid. National Health Insurance does not cover it.
- Nights and Sundays: the 72-hour limit continues at night and on Sundays. Contact us on LINE first.
PEP or PrEP: which one do you need?
If the exposure has already happened, you need PEP. If you want protection before any exposure, you need PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis).
| PEP vs PrEP | |
|---|---|
| When | PEP: After the exposure, within 72 hours PrEP: Before any exposure |
| How long | PEP: 28 days, then stop PrEP: As long as the risk continues |
| Covers | PEP: This one exposure only PrEP: Exposures while you take it |
| Medicines | PEP: Three anti-HIV medicines PrEP: Two anti-HIV medicines (tablets) |
| Public funding | PEP: Taiwan CDC funds it only for exposure at work PrEP: A government programme with eligibility rules and limited places. Some groups must be Taiwanese nationals; see the PrEP page |
PrEP tablets you already have are not PEP. Do not use them as PEP on your own. If you need protection for the future, read how to get PrEP in Taichung.
The 72 hours, and what to prepare
| Time since exposure | What the guidelines say |
|---|---|
| Within 24 hours | The ideal time to start. |
| 24–72 hours | Still inside the window. The doctor assesses the risk and decides. |
| More than 72 hours | Taiwan’s guidelines do not advise starting PEP. Taiwan CDC says a doctor may still prescribe it if judged necessary. But if more than 7 days have passed since the exposure, it has no preventive effect. The focus moves to testing. |
Before you contact us, check these points. The first three are the most important.
- The exact time: the date and approximate hour. Write it in your phone now.
- The type of contact: was a condom used, did it break or slip off, was there bleeding or a tear in the skin or the lining of the genitals, anus or mouth.
- The other person’s status: if they have HIV, are they on treatment, which medicines, and what was their latest viral load.
- Your own health: PrEP use, hepatitis B, kidney or liver problems, and every medicine or supplement you take.
If you cannot answer everything, come anyway. Time matters more than complete information. If the other person’s status is unknown, the doctor assesses the risk of the exposure itself.
About the evidence: data on PEP come mainly from observational studies. These cannot prove exactly how well it works. The guidelines weigh the benefits against the harms, and they do not promise a result. For this reason, this page gives no success rate. What matters most is how quickly you reach a doctor.
Where to get PEP, and outside consulting hours
You cannot buy PEP at a pharmacy. On the same day you need a doctor’s assessment, a first blood test and the medicine. You can get PEP at:
- a hospital infectious diseases clinic;
- a hospital with a 24-hour emergency department;
- a clinic that can assess you and give the medicine on the same day.
Before you go, call or message to check that they can do all three that day, at that hour.
This clinic is listed on Taiwan CDC’s schedule of facilities that provide PEP after non-work exposure (updated 27 August 2026). We have no emergency department. During consulting hours (Monday to Friday 09:00–12:00, 14:30–17:30 and 19:00–21:00; Saturday 09:00–12:00), the assessment, blood test and prescription are done at one visit. Often the assessment shows that no medicine is needed. Then we arrange the right tests and dates.
Outside consulting hours, contact us on LINE. Tell us the time and type of exposure. If time and conditions allow, the doctor may come to the clinic to examine you in person and prescribe. This lets you start within the time limit. The full tests are done on the next day the clinic is open. This is decided case by case. It is not a fixed service, and it cannot be promised every time. Medicines are given only after an in-person examination. We do not deliver them.
Go directly to a hospital with a 24-hour emergency department if:
- you cannot reach us;
- you are close to 72 hours;
- there is also an injury, heavy bleeding or a sexual assault.
Starting in time matters much more than where you start.
What the first visit includes
Taiwan’s guidelines ask for a set of first tests, called baseline tests. They check that the medicine is safe for you. They also record your status before the exposure, which is needed to read the later results.
- HIV fourth-generation antigen/antibody test. If you already have HIV, the plan is completely different.
- Liver function (AST or ALT) and kidney function (creatinine).
- Syphilis blood tests (VDRL/RPR and TPHA).
- Gonorrhoea and chlamydia at the site of the exposure, preferably by nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT, a PCR-type test). The doctor can also discuss doxy-PEP.
- Hepatitis B (HBsAg and anti-HBs) and hepatitis C antibody.
- A pregnancy test for women who could be pregnant. The guidelines advise discussing emergency contraception at the same time. This clinic does not provide it, so ask the doctor where to get it; it has its own time limit.
Hepatitis B: you may have no protective antibody (anti-HBs below 10 mIU/mL), and the other person may have hepatitis B. Then the guidelines advise two things within 24 hours: hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine. More vaccine doses follow at 1–2 months and 6 months. If the other person’s hepatitis B status is unknown, the vaccine is still advised, unless you are known not to respond to it. This clinic can give the vaccine. HBIG is not available here and must be given at a hospital.
The medicine and its side effects
PEP is a combination of three anti-HIV medicines, taken every day for 28 days. Taiwan’s guidelines list several combinations. None has been shown to prevent infection better than the others. The doctor chooses one based on your kidney and liver function, hepatitis B status, possible pregnancy, your other medicines, and the other person’s HIV medicines. If you are pregnant, or the other person’s HIV is known to resist some medicines, the doctor will discuss the choice with an infectious diseases specialist and refer you if needed.
Common side effects: diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, headache, tiredness, dizziness, bloating, indigestion, stomach pain, rash and low mood. An allergic rash can appear 2–4 weeks after starting, especially around day 10–14. If a rash appears, come back soon. Do not stop the medicine on your own or treat the rash with products from a pharmacy.
Two risks to know before you start
1. Hepatitis B can get worse after you stop. Some PEP medicines (emtricitabine and tenofovir) also act against the hepatitis B virus. If you carry hepatitis B, the hepatitis can suddenly get worse after the 28 days end. You will need liver tests afterwards. This is why hepatitis B is always part of the first tests.
2. Other medicines and supplements. Some can affect the PEP medicines, or must be taken at a different time. Examples: some epilepsy, tuberculosis, diabetes and heart-rhythm medicines; antacids; supplements with calcium or iron; and St John’s wort (a herbal product). Tell the doctor about everything you take, including herbal products. Also tell us about any medicine for erection problems, even if a doctor did not prescribe it. Some PEP combinations raise its level in the blood, so the dose and timing must be adjusted, and some erection medicines cannot be used with them at all. Never combine erection medicines with “poppers” (nitrite inhalants) or with nitrate heart medicines.
Disclosure about this use of the medicine
In Taiwan, these medicines are approved for treating HIV-1 infection. Prevention after an exposure is not an approved use, so PEP is off-label use. It is based on clinical guidelines. We explain this in person before prescribing.
Taiwan’s drug injury relief system usually does not cover off-label use. There is an exception when the use fits the medical principles and appropriate use of the time. Inclusion in clinical guidelines is one point the authorities consider, and a review committee decides each case. Medicines bought online without a Taiwan licence are not covered at all.
The 28 days and the follow-up timetable
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | Assessment, first tests, first dose |
| During the course | Return visit as the doctor advises: results and side effects |
| Day 28 | End of the course; a good time to discuss PrEP |
| 4–6 weeks after exposure | HIV antigen/antibody and syphilis tests; gonorrhoea and chlamydia if needed; liver and kidney tests if the first results were abnormal |
| 12 weeks after exposure | HIV antigen/antibody and syphilis tests; hepatitis B again if you had no protective antibody |
If the other person has hepatitis C, or their status is unknown, two tests may be added: HCV RNA at 3–6 weeks and HCV antibody at 3–4 months after the exposure.
Take the medicine every day as prescribed, without missing doses. If side effects make it hard, come back instead of stopping. Until the follow-up is complete, use condoms every time and do not donate blood. PEP does not protect you against a new exposure during the course. Fever, rash, sore throat or swollen lymph nodes can be signs of acute infection. Come back soon if they appear.
Leaving Taiwan before the 28 days end? Tell the doctor at the first visit, and ask how to do the follow-up tests after you leave.
Costs
After sex or another non-work exposure, all medicines and tests are self-paid, whether or not you have National Health Insurance. The cost has three parts: the consultation, the first tests, and 28 days of medicine, which is the largest part. When you plan the cost, include the two follow-up tests. Costs are explained at the consultation, after the assessment and before anything is prescribed.
Exposure at work (healthcare, police, fire and ambulance staff, and similar): the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) can fully pay for PEP when a doctor judges it necessary. Your employer applies, within 6 months of the exposure. Report to your workplace within 24 hours. This clinic is not a designated HIV hospital, and the Taiwan CDC procedure refers work exposures to a designated hospital. Follow your workplace’s needle-stick procedure first.
If this was sexual assault: contact the 113 protection hotline first. It is free, open 24 hours, and has interpreters for several languages, including English. Forensic examination is done at hospitals designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This clinic is not one of them. We do not do forensic examinations or provide emergency contraception.
By law, medical staff who learn of a possible sexual assault must report it to the local authority within 24 hours. The report and your identity are kept confidential.
Taichung City can pay part of the medical costs for victims who apply. Before you decide where to get PEP, ask 113. Receipts from clinics that are not designated may not be accepted.
Privacy, and if you are not from Taiwan
- You do not have to explain why you are here in the waiting area. The clinic has private consulting rooms, and patients are guided through the clinic separately.
- A medical record is created; this is a legal duty. Please bring your passport or resident certificate. The record is confidential.
- A negative result is not reported. When a result meets the official definition of an HIV case, the clinic must report it to the health authority by law. Your personal information is protected by the Communicable Disease Control Act, Article 10.
Some people delay seeking help because they fear for their right to stay in Taiwan. Two facts belong together:
- Since 4 February 2015, foreign nationals with HIV infection are no longer subject to restrictions on entry to, residence in, or stay in Taiwan.
- At the same time, the Immigration Act, Article 18, subparagraph 8, still has a general rule. Under this rule, entry may be refused because of a communicable disease that is harmful to public health.
Frequently asked questions
The other person says they are fine. Do I still need an assessment?
Their word alone is not enough. A recent test report helps only if the test was done after their window period (the weeks after infection when a test cannot yet find HIV). If they agree to an HIV antigen/antibody test and it is negative, with no signs of acute infection, the doctor may consider stopping PEP. You still complete your own follow-up tests.
I already take PrEP. Do I need PEP?
The doctor decides. It depends on how regularly you take PrEP, when you took your last dose, and the type of exposure. Please be honest about missed doses.
What happens after the 28 days?
PEP covers this one exposure only. The guidelines do not routinely advise repeated PEP. If exposures may happen again, you can start PrEP immediately after PEP. You do not need to wait for the follow-up tests. But you still have the tests at 4–6 and 12 weeks after the exposure, and you watch for signs of acute infection.
Related pages
Appointments and access
Consultations are conducted in Mandarin, and can also be conducted in English.
Three things are enough to start: when it happened, what kind of contact, and what you know about the other person’s HIV status.
昭安泌尿科診所 (Morning Urology Clinic)
No. 98, Boguan 2nd St., West District, Taichung City 403, Taiwan（403 臺中市西區博館二街98號）
Consulting hours: Monday to Saturday (closed Sunday). Online booking is open 24 hours.
This page was produced by 昭安泌尿科診所 (Morning Urology Clinic). Medical content last updated: October 2026 (same as the Traditional Chinese version). English version published: 30 October 2026. Medically reviewed by Dr. Chao-An Chen, urologist.
Sources: Taiwan AIDS Society, Guidelines for HIV Testing and Treatment, Chapters 9 and 11 (occupational and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis), revised 23 December 2025 / Taiwan CDC, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV, including the schedule of facilities providing non-occupational PEP / Taiwan CDC, HIV/AIDS Control Work Manual, Chapter 1: Prevention Strategies (updated September 2026) / Taiwan CDC, subsidy rules for occupational PEP (revised 31 October 2025) / US CDC, Antiretroviral postexposure prophylaxis after sexual, injection drug use, or other nonoccupational exposure to HIV, United States, 2025 (MMWR Recomm Rep 2025;74(1)). Medication content follows the product information approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
This page provides general medical information and does not replace an individual diagnosis or treatment plan. Whether PEP is needed, which medicine is used, and the risks and costs are decided at a consultation with a doctor.