In France, PEP is called TPE (Traitement Post-Exposition — Post-Exposure Treatment). It is the same medication and the same 28-day protocol. It must be started within 72 hours of a potential HIV exposure — 48 hours is the recommended target for best efficacy.

Where to Go

You must go to a public hospital emergency department (Urgences). GPs cannot dispense TPE medication. Private clinics (cliniques privées) frequently do not stock it. Always go to a CH (Centre Hospitalier) or CHU (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire).

Paris

The three best-equipped hospitals for TPE in Paris, with infectious disease departments experienced in sexual health:

Hôpital Saint-Louis — Urgences 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75010 Paris (10th arrondissement) Open 24/7 | Phone: 01 42 49 49 49

Hôpital Tenon — Urgences 4 Rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris (20th arrondissement) Open 24/7 | Phone: 01 56 01 70 70

Hôpital Bichat — Urgences 46 Rue Henri Huchard, 75018 Paris (18th arrondissement) Open 24/7 | Phone: 01 40 25 80 80

All three have the medication in their emergency pharmacy and staff experienced with TPE protocols.

What to Say

At Accueil Urgences (emergency reception):

"J'ai eu un risque d'exposition au VIH il y a [X] heures. J'ai besoin d'un TPE — Traitement Post-Exposition." ("I had a risk of HIV exposure [X] hours ago. I need TPE — Post-Exposure Treatment.")

Staff understand both "TPE" and "PEP."

What Happens Next

  1. Triage — PEP/TPE is time-sensitive; you'll be seen as urgent
  2. Assessment — a doctor assesses the exposure nature and your current HIV status (rapid test)
  3. Starter pack — you leave with the first 2–5 days of medication
  4. Specialist follow-up — you're referred to the infectious disease team (service des maladies infectieuses) for the full 28-day course
  5. Monitoring — HIV test at day 28 and 3 months

Key: Do not wait until Monday morning. TPE is available 24/7 and the time window is absolute.

Outside Paris

In any French city, go to the nearest CHU or CH emergency department. Major regional centres:

City Hospital Phone
Lyon CHU de Lyon — Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse 04 26 10 93 00
Marseille AP-HM — Hôpital de la Timone Urgences 04 91 38 00 00
Bordeaux CHU de Bordeaux — Hôpital Pellegrin 05 57 82 07 62
Toulouse CHU de Toulouse — Hôpital Purpan 05 61 77 22 33
Nantes CHU de Nantes — Hôtel-Dieu 02 40 08 33 33
Lille CHU de Lille — Hôpital Huriez 03 20 44 44 44
Strasbourg CHU de Strasbourg — Hôpital Civil 03 88 11 67 68

Cost

Free with Carte Vitale or EHIC (EU visitors). For tourists without EHIC: emergency treatment cannot be refused; you will receive a bill. PASS in public hospitals can help uninsured patients.

The 72-Hour Rule

Time since exposure Action
Under 48 hours Go to Urgences immediately — best efficacy window
48–72 hours Still go — TPE is possible but less effective
Over 72 hours TPE is not indicated. Get tested and monitor at 4–6 weeks

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