Hello,

Three days ago I had sex with an HIV+ man (I'm gay). We had oral sex and then we had unprotected sex (I was on top). Afterwards I took PEP medications because I noticed that he is positive. The medications are Kaletra and Truvada, but I am having a lot of nausea and vomiting as side effects. Do you think it's a good combination? What do I have to do to reduce the side effects? Thank you.

Thanks for writing. Knowing a sex partner's status is important, especially if you are engaging in unprotected sex. Insertive partners are still at risk, although less so than "bottoms." Hopefully your partner is on antiretroviral medications, which will reduce his viral load and lessen the risk of exposure. In general, it is wise to assume everyone is positive. That said, the combination of Kaletra and Truvada is a standard PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) protocol. It's very important to take these medications as prescribed (usually for four weeks) - not doing so can reduce their effectiveness should you need them in the future. You should also follow up with lab tests at 3 and 6 months. Try taking the medications with food - hopefully that will reduce the side effects.

Here is a resource page that more fully describes PEP.

-David