PEP is a 28-day course of medication that can prevent an HIV infection from taking hold. You must start within 72 hours of exposure—the sooner, the better.

In Japan, PEP is not covered by health insurance and is 100% out-of-pocket. Getting the right care at the right place will save you a massive amount of money and ensure you get treatment within the crucial time window.

Here is your step-by-step action plan.

🚨 Step 1: Secure the Medication

Your immediate route depends entirely on what time it is right now.

Option A: Daytime (The Best & Cheapest Route)

If it is daytime on a weekday or Saturday, go directly to a specialized sexual health clinic. These clinics legally import approved generic PEP. A full 28-day course, including your mandatory baseline blood tests (HIV, Hepatitis, Kidney function), costs around ¥66,000 to ¥77,000.

Option B: Nighttime / Holidays (The Emergency Route)

If it is the middle of the night or a public holiday and clinics are closed, do not wait until morning if it pushes you past the 72-hour mark.

  1. Go to a hospital emergency room (救急外来, kyūkyū gairai).
  2. Get a 1 to 3-day bridging supply of name-brand PEP to secure your 72-hour window.
  3. Crucial: Do not buy the full 28-day course at the hospital. Hospitals prescribe name-brand drugs at roughly ¥10,000 per day. A full hospital course will cost you nearly ¥300,000.
  4. The next morning, switch to a specialized sexual health clinic (Option A) to finish the rest of your course affordably.

📞 Step 2: Where to Go (Tokyo Contacts)

  • Personal Health Clinic (Ueno, Bunkyo-ku) — Rapid HIV testing, PrEP and generic PEP, English-speaking. Walk in or call ahead. Full PEP package: ~¥66,000. Tel: 03-5817-4415.
  • Private Care Clinic Tokyo (Shinjuku) — English service Monday–Saturday, ACC-linked doctors. Full PEP package: ~¥77,000.
  • AIDS Clinical Center (ACC) — The national HIV reference centre. Handles PEP assessment.

If you are forced to use a hospital ER, say plainly that you had a possible HIV exposure and need PEP immediately. They can provide the short bridging supply. This is exactly what emergency care is for.

🗣️ Step 3: What to Say

Staff will not guess why you are there, and embarrassment just costs you time. Be blunt.

  • What you need: "HIV kansen no osore ga arimasu. PEP wo hajimetai desu." (I may have been exposed to HIV. I want to start PEP.)
  • The timing: "Bakuro wa [X] jikan mae desu." (The exposure was [X] hours ago.)
  • The exposure: State what happened, and that the other person's HIV status is unknown or positive.

Have the Japanese ready on your phone to show them.

💊 Step 4: The Course & The Future

PEP is a three-drug combination taken daily for 28 days. Do not miss doses. Side effects like nausea or fatigue are common but manageable; your clinic can prescribe medication to help. Do not stop early without consulting your doctor. You will need a follow-up HIV test near the end of the course, and again a few weeks later, to confirm you are clear.

The Sustainable Fix: If you find yourself needing PEP, it is a strong signal to switch to PrEP. Taking PrEP daily or on-demand removes the 72-hour emergency scramble entirely, provides ongoing protection, and is vastly cheaper in the long run than paying for emergency PEP courses.

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