Check your window
How much time do you have left?
Enter when the exposure happened. The dial counts down the hours left in the 72-hour window and tells you how urgent it is.
PEP works best when started within 2 hours and should not be started after 72 hours. If you are anywhere inside the window, don’t wait for a “normal” appointment: call or message us now and we will see you as a priority.
The checker is guidance only and does not replace a doctor’s assessment. If you’re unsure about the time, contact us anyway.
PEP is most effective when started as early as possible, and it must begin within 72 hours of exposure. Here is what the timing means for you.
0 h
24 h
48 h
72 h
0–2 h
Best time to start
The ideal window. Contact us immediately and we’ll see you as a priority.
2–24 h
Start today
Still very effective. Don’t wait until tomorrow. Come in today.
24–72 h
Act now
PEP can still work, but the chance of success falls with every hour.
72 h +
Too late for PEP
PEP is not recommended, but get tested and ask us about follow-up and PrEP.
More than 72 hours?
Too late for PEP? You still have options.
PEP is generally not recommended after 72 hours, but a doctor can still help you manage the risk and get answers.
Test
HIV testing at the right times
A test now, then follow-up tests, usually around 6 weeks and 3 months after the exposure depending on the test. We’ll tell you exactly when.
Check
Screening for other infections
The same exposure can carry other STIs such as syphilis, gonorrhoea or chlamydia. Most are easy to test for and treat.
Protect
PrEP for the future
If you are likely to be at risk again, PrEP taken before exposure gives ongoing protection, so you won’t need to race the clock next time.
Counting your hours
Starting PEP within 72 hours: where the clock starts.
To start PEP within 72 hours, count from the moment of the possible exposure, not from when you noticed a problem or decided to act.
Real life is rarely that tidy. People are often unsure of the exact time, had more than one encounter, or only realised later that a condom had slipped. In every case the safest rule is the same: count from the earliest moment that could matter, and contact a clinic straight away.
Working out your 72 hours in common situations
| Your situation | Count from | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You know roughly when it happened | That time, rounded earlier | Use the dial above, then message us |
| Not sure of the exact time | The earliest possible moment | Tell the doctor your best estimate |
| Several encounters over a few days | Each one separately | PEP may still cover the most recent; ask us about the earlier ones |
| A condom slipped or broke unnoticed | The start of that encounter | Treat it as an exposure until a doctor says otherwise |
If a condom broke, our step-by-step guide on what to do after a condom breaks in Pattaya walks you through the first hour. Visitors flying home soon can also read PEP for tourists in Thailand.
At the limit
Close to 72 hours, or just past it?
If you are near the end of the window, contact us anyway: a doctor, not a countdown, decides whether PEP is still worth starting.
How effective is PEP at 24, 48 or 60 hours?
How effective is PEP within 24 hours? That is the strongest position after the first 2 hours. How effective is PEP at 48 hours, or after 60 hours? It can still work, but the evidence suggests the chance of success falls as more time passes, which is why guidelines stress starting as early as possible rather than giving a single cut-off percentage.
Does PEP work after 72 hours? It is generally not recommended beyond that point, because the benefit becomes too uncertain to outweigh a month of medicine. Hours spent wondering are hours lost, so message us with your best estimate of the time and we will tell you honestly where you stand. Once the window has clearly passed, PEP is generally not recommended, but that is not the end of the conversation.
- Testing at the right times: our guide to HIV testing in Pattaya and window periods explains which test to take and when.
- Other infections: ask about an STI check in the same visit.
- Next time: if the risk is likely to happen again, daily or on-demand PrEP in Pattaya means you won’t have to race the clock.
Pattaya, Thailand
Don’t wait until tomorrow.
Worried about a recent exposure? Talk to us now. It’s confidential, and the sooner you start, the better PEP works.