Time window: Under 72 hours. Ideally under 24. Every hour matters. Cost: Minimal with Mutuelle. Emergency care is provided regardless.

For the full clinical picture — what PEP is, how it works, and who it's appropriate for — see PEP: The Emergency Protocol first.

Where to Go

Go to the emergency department (Spoedgevallen in Dutch / Urgences in French) of a university hospital — ideally one with an attached HIV Reference Center, as these have the best expertise.

Brussels: CHU Saint-Pierre, Rue Haute 322, 1000 Brussels The preferred destination in Brussels. Saint-Pierre is the primary HIV Reference Center for the capital and has 24/7 expertise in HIV emergencies. Located near Porte de Hal / Hallepoort.

Alternatives in Brussels: ULB Hôpital Erasme (Anderlecht) or Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert) — both have HRCs.

Antwerp: UZA — Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem The university hospital for Antwerp, with an HRC. The ITM Help Center is not an emergency service — use UZA for out-of-hours PEP.

Ghent: UZ Gent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent

Leuven: UZ Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven

Liège: CHU de Liège, Domaine Universitaire du Sart-Tilman, 4000 Liège

For the complete list of HRC hospitals: aids.be

What to Say

Dutch (Flanders): "Ik heb [X] uur geleden een hoog-risico seksueel contact gehad met risico op HIV. Ik heb post-expositieprofylaxe nodig." (I had a high-risk sexual contact with HIV risk [X] hours ago. I need post-exposure prophylaxis.)

French (Brussels / Wallonia): "J'ai eu un contact sexuel à haut risque pour le VIH il y a [X] heures. J'ai besoin d'un traitement post-exposition (TPE)."

Give clinical context: was your partner HIV-positive or unknown status? What type of exposure (receptive anal sex without a condom is the highest-risk route)? Being specific speeds the clinical assessment.

Cost

With Mutuelle: Emergency hospital care carries a ticket modérateur (co-payment) — typically €10–30 for the A&E visit, with PEP medication largely covered. Keep your eID card with you.

EU/EEA visitors with EHIC: Emergency care is covered. Present your EHIC card at the hospital.

Without coverage: Emergency care is provided. A bill will follow. Manage it afterward — go immediately.

The Process

Starter pack: The hospital A&E provides a 5–7 day starter pack of PEP medication to begin immediately.

Mandatory follow-up: Within a few days (before the starter pack runs out), you must attend an HRC outpatient clinic to continue the full 28-day course. The A&E will refer you — confirm this before leaving and get contact details for your follow-up appointment.

Testing timeline: Follow-up HIV tests are typically done at 6 weeks and 3 months after completing PEP.

After PEP: Consider PrEP

If you've needed PEP more than once, or you're regularly in situations that carry HIV risk, PrEP is the appropriate prevention tool. Belgium's Convention system makes it very affordable. See PrEP in Belgium: The Convention.

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