PEP Cost in India: Free vs Private Options and What You Pay For

01What you are actually paying for

A complete PEP episode has four parts, and comparing prices only makes sense if you compare all four:

1. Doctor assessment — deciding whether PEP is needed and which regimen to use.
2. Medicines for 28 days — usually a three-drug combination taken daily.
3. Baseline tests — HIV test and, depending on the situation, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, kidney function and pregnancy test.
4. Follow-up — a check on side effects and repeat HIV testing, usually around 4–6 weeks and about 3 months.

A cheap tablet strip bought without the other three parts is not real PEP care, and can cost more later if something goes wrong.

02How to get PEP for free in India

Under the National AIDS Control Programme, ART centres provide PEP medicines and baseline HIV testing free of charge. In Delhi you can go to the emergency (casualty) department of large government hospitals such as AIIMS, Safdarjung, RML or LNJP and ask for HIV PEP — they will either start it or direct you to the ART centre. Healthcare workers with needle-stick injuries should report to their hospital's infection control or emergency team immediately.

Tips for the free route

• Go as early in the day as possible; ART centres have fixed hours.
• Carry ID and tell the staff clearly that the exposure was within 72 hours.
• If the ART centre is closed, go to the emergency department — do not wait for the next morning if you are close to 72 hours.

03Private PEP: what affects the price

• Consultation fee: HIV & STD consultation at Dr. Monga Medi Clinic is ₹2,000, including risk assessment and counselling.
• Medicine brand and regimen: generic Indian combinations are far cheaper than imported ones; your doctor will explain the options.
• Tests: a basic package costs less than an extended panel; only tests that change management are needed.
• Delivery: for online patients, home delivery may add a small charge.

Ask for a written estimate before you start, so there are no surprises. For a full breakdown of private PEP options, see our PEP treatment for HIV prevention page.

04Free or private: which should you choose?

Choose the free government route if it is close, open and you are comfortable with the process. Choose a private doctor if you need speed outside ART-centre hours, a private one-to-one discussion, online consultation from another city, or a single doctor who handles your follow-up. Both use the same national guideline regimens. What matters most is starting quickly and finishing all 28 days.

05A realistic PEP budget checklist

Before you start, ask the clinic to confirm each of these in writing so you can compare fairly and avoid surprises later:

• Is the consultation fee inclusive of counselling and the follow-up review?
• Which exact medicine combination and brand is prescribed, and what is the cost for 28 days?
• Which baseline tests are being ordered, and why each one is needed?
• What will the follow-up HIV tests at around 4–6 weeks and 3 months cost?
• Is home delivery available, and what does it cost?

Transparent clinics answer these immediately. If any answer is vague, ask again — you are entitled to know what you are paying for.

06Needle-stick injuries at work: who pays?

Doctors, nurses, lab staff, housekeeping workers and others who suffer a needle-stick or splash injury at work should report it to their supervisor or the hospital's infection control team at once. Most hospitals have an occupational exposure protocol that provides assessment, PEP and follow-up testing free of cost to the employee, and the incident should be documented. If your workplace does not have a protocol, go to the nearest government hospital emergency department or a private HIV doctor immediately — and keep a record of the incident for later reimbursement.

07What if I cannot afford private PEP?

Then do not hesitate — go to the government route. Free PEP from an ART centre or emergency department uses national-guideline medicines and is just as effective. The only wrong choice is waiting. If you need help finding the nearest centre, send us a WhatsApp message with your location and we will point you to the quickest option, even if you do not consult with us.

08Why buying PEP tablets alone is a false saving

Some people try to save money by buying tablets from a chemist after reading online. The risks include taking the wrong combination, missing a hepatitis B infection that needs a different plan, ignoring kidney problems, and skipping follow-up tests — so you never truly know whether PEP worked. If cost is your main concern, the free government route is safer than self-medication.

09PEP across India and online

If you are outside Delhi NCR, you can start a same-day video consultation with our HIV doctor, and medicines can be dispatched where permitted. City-wise information on cost and access is on our partner site peptreatmentforhiv.com. If you are near Dwarka, Mahipalpur or Aerocity, our clinic near Delhi Airport area is the quickest in-person option.

10Hidden costs to avoid

• Paying for repeated HIV tests in the first few days — they cannot detect a new infection that early.
• Expensive "immunity boosters" sold alongside PEP — they add nothing.
• Restarting PEP because doses were missed — set alarms and keep a spare day's tablets with you.
• Delaying PEP to compare prices — the most costly mistake of all.

11After PEP: protecting yourself without repeated costs

If you have had more than one PEP course, ask about PrEP — taking HIV prevention medicine before exposure is cheaper and safer than repeated emergency PEP. Regular STD and HIV testing and consistent condom use complete the picture.