Woke up worried about
last night? Read this.
You are not the first person to wake up with this feeling, and you will not be the last. The fact that you are already searching for answers means you are doing the right thing. Here is what you need to know — and what to do next.
⏳ If this happened within the last 72 hours, you still have time. Contact us now →
Breathe. You are not the first person to wake up with this feeling, and you will not be the last. Anxiety, regret, uncertainty — these are all normal responses. But what matters right now is not how you are feeling. It is what you do in the next few hours.
The most important thing you need to know: time is everything. And you still have it.
Unprotected sex can expose you to HIV — but HIV is now preventable, even after exposure.
HIV is transmitted through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. A single instance of unprotected sex is enough for transmission to occur, depending on the circumstances — whether it was with a new partner, someone whose status is unknown, a condom that broke, or a moment that simply did not go as planned.
That is not a judgement. That is biology. And biology also gives us a response.
Most people in Nigeria do not know that HIV can now be prevented even after a potential exposure — if you act quickly enough.
What is PEP, and how does it work?
PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a short course of antiretroviral medication that, when taken correctly after a potential HIV exposure, can prevent the virus from establishing infection in your body.
You may already know Postinor-2 — the emergency contraceptive taken after unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy. PEP is similar in principle: an emergency intervention taken after the fact, within a specific time window, to prevent a serious outcome.
The difference is that PEP is a 28-day course, not a single pill. And the outcome it prevents is HIV infection.
PEP works. But it only works if you start it in time. You have 72 hours from the moment of exposure to begin. The earlier you start, the more effective it is.
Five steps to take today.
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Check the clockWhen did the exposure happen? If it was within the last 72 hours, you are still within the PEP window. Note the exact time — this information matters for your clinical assessment.
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Act, do not spiralAnxiety is a normal response. But time spent worrying is time inside your 72-hour window. The single most useful thing you can do right now is contact our clinical team and access PEP. Everything else can follow.
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Get PEP — fast and discreetlyIn Nigeria, getting PEP has historically involved long hospital queues, uncomfortable questions, and the fear of being judged. That is exactly why Zivoko exists. Through Zivoko, you can access PEP from the privacy of your phone — no waiting rooms, no awkward conversations, no judgement. Fast, discreet, and delivered to you. Available in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Edo, Ogun, Anambra, and across all 36 states. Also accessible via PEPaccess.com.
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Take the full 28-day coursePEP is not optional to stop halfway. Stopping early significantly reduces its effectiveness and may allow the virus to replicate. Set a daily reminder. Commit to all 28 days. Our team will follow up with dosing support and reminders throughout your course via WhatsApp.
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Get tested at the right timesTake a baseline HIV test before starting PEP to confirm your current status. Then test again at 4–6 weeks after the exposure, and once more at 3 months for a conclusive result. Zivoko can provide OraQuick HIV self-test kits to support your follow-up testing.
There is no judgement here.
These are the questions people search for in private, often in the early hours of the morning. We have heard them all. Here are honest answers.
?The sex was consensual — does that change anything?
No. PEP is available to anyone who has had a potential HIV exposure, regardless of the circumstances of the encounter. Whether sex was planned or spontaneous, consensual or otherwise — your eligibility for PEP is determined by the nature of the exposure, not the context around it.
?I am not sure if my partner has HIV. Is PEP still worth it?
Yes. If you do not know your partner’s HIV status and there was unprotected exposure, that uncertainty itself is sufficient reason to access PEP and seek a clinical assessment. PEP decisions are based on risk exposure, not on confirmed knowledge of a partner’s status. You do not need to contact or locate the other person before acting.
?What if I was the one who initiated the sex?
It does not matter. PEP is about your health, not about who made which decision. There is no moral test attached to accessing HIV prevention. The clinical question is simply whether there was a potential HIV exposure — not how it came about.
?Will anyone know I am taking PEP?
With Zivoko, no. Your consultation is confidential and your medication arrives in plain, unbranded packaging with no indication of the contents. No one in your household, workplace, or social circle needs to know. Your health information is handled only by the clinical team processing your order, and is never shared for any commercial purpose.
?Is PEP available in Nigeria?
Yes — and through Zivoko, it is more accessible than it has ever been. Zivoko delivers PEP to all 36 states in Nigeria, with same-day delivery in hub cities including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Asaba, Benin City, and others. For the rest of the country, fast delivery is available from the nearest hub. You can also access PEP via PEPaccess.com.
?Is PEP the same as HIV treatment?
No. PEP is taken after a potential exposure to prevent infection from occurring. HIV treatment — known as antiretroviral therapy (ART) — is taken by people who are already HIV positive to suppress the virus and protect their health. They use similar drug classes but serve entirely different purposes. PEP, if started and completed correctly, aims to prevent HIV from ever establishing infection in the first place.
What PEP is not.
PEP is an emergency intervention — a safety net for when things do not go as planned. It is not a substitute for condoms, and it is not a long-term prevention strategy.
If you find yourself needing PEP more than once, that is a signal worth paying attention to. It may mean that ongoing exposure risk is a reality of your life — and for that, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is a much more appropriate solution. PrEP is taken before potential exposure to provide continuous, reliable protection. Zivoko offers oral PrEP (daily pill), CAB-LA injectable (every two months), and lenacapavir (twice yearly) — so there is an option to suit every lifestyle.
HIV in Nigeria — and why access matters.
Nigeria carries one of the largest HIV burdens in the world, with an estimated 1.9 million people living with HIV. Yet stigma, misinformation, and barriers to accessing services mean that many people who could be protected are not.
You do not have to be one of them. You have already taken the first step by seeking information. Now take the next one.
The window is still open. Do not let it close.
If you had unprotected sex in the last 72 hours, act now. Zivoko makes PEP fast, private, and judgment-free — delivered to your door anywhere in Nigeria.
Access PEP through Zivoko →Safe. Private. Reliable.
Zivoko — making HIV prevention fast, discreet, and accessible across Nigeria.
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