HIV Risk After a Condom Break or One-Time Exposure
Quick answer
The chance of getting HIV from one exposure is usually small but never zero, and it depends on the type of sex, whether your partner has HIV, and whether they are on treatment. The CDC estimates, for sex with a partner who has HIV and is not on treatment, about 138 per 10,000 exposures for receptive anal sex and 4 to 8 per 10,000 for vaginal sex. If a condom broke or came off in the last 72 hours, go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic now and ask about PEP.
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If the first item applies, don't read on: go for care now and ask about PEP. None of this is a diagnosis, and only a test can show whether you have HIV.
Exposure in the last 72 hours? Don’t wait. PEP is emergency HIV medicine that must be started within 72 hours, and the sooner the better. Go to an emergency room or urgent care clinic and ask for it. See HIV PEP: what to do in the first 72 hours.
A condom that breaks, a night you can’t fully remember, or a partner whose status you don’t know can leave you scared. Numbers can help, but they have limits, so this page gives the CDC’s estimates and then the next steps that matter more.
What are the chances of getting HIV from one exposure?
It depends on what happened. The CDC publishes estimates of the risk per 10,000 exposures with a partner who has HIV and is not on HIV treatment:
| Type of exposure | Risk per 10,000 exposures |
|---|---|
| Receptive anal sex | 138 |
| Insertive anal sex | 11 |
| Receptive vaginal sex | 8 |
| Insertive vaginal sex | 4 |
| Oral sex (giving or receiving) | Low |
Receptive means the partner being penetrated, and insertive means the partner doing the penetrating. The CDC’s causes page says its chart applies to sex with someone who has HIV and is not on HIV treatment.
These are averages from research, not a prediction for you. They also assume the partner has HIV. If you don’t know your partner’s status, you can’t work out your own risk from these numbers, and a clinician can help you think it through.
Can I get HIV from just one exposure?
Yes. The CDC says there may be a relatively small chance of getting HIV from a single exposure, but it isn’t zero. It also says even small risks add up if repeated. The CDC says viral load, the amount of HIV in the blood, is highest in the first 2 to 4 weeks after infection, and another STI can make you more likely to get or pass on HIV.
Can I get HIV if I used a condom?
Condoms are a strong protection, not a perfect one. The CDC says they provide an impermeable barrier to HIV and that leaks from product failure are extremely rare. In practice, using one correctly every time is hard to measure. For heterosexual men and women, the CDC estimates that always using condoms, by self-report, lowers the risk of getting HIV from a partner with HIV by about 80%. The CDC says the true figure for correct use is likely higher.
The NHS adds that oil-based lubricants, such as petroleum jelly or baby oil, can make condoms break or tear, so use water-based lubricant.
What should I do after a condom breaks?
Treat it as a possible exposure, even though the chance of HIV may be small.
- Go for care within 72 hours. The CDC specifically lists a broken condom as a reason to talk to a provider right away about PEP. It says PEP must be started within 72 hours, and that every hour counts.
- Don’t wait for symptoms. Some people have no symptoms at all, and no HIV test can detect infection immediately.
- Get tested at the right time. If you take PEP, the prescriber will arrange follow-up testing. Without PEP, order an HIV test online and test after the window period for your test type. See our window periods guide.
PEP is safe but may cause side effects like nausea in some people, according to the CDC. Cost shouldn’t stop you from asking: the CDC says assistance with the cost of PEP may be available.
What if it was more than 72 hours ago?
PEP must be started within 72 hours, so it isn’t the right route after that. You can still get tested by ordering an HIV test online. See HIV testing: window periods and home kits to choose a test and timing.
How can I protect myself in future?
The CDC says condoms and medicine to prevent HIV both protect during sex. PrEP is medicine (pills or shots) for people without HIV who may be exposed, and it is covered in PrEP: how it works and can you still get HIV.
Get care today if
- A condom broke or came off during sex, or you had sex without protection, in the last 72 hours
- You shared needles, syringes or other injecting equipment in the last 72 hours
- You were sexually assaulted in the last 72 hours
- You had a needle-stick or a splash of blood onto your eye, mouth or broken skin
Call 911 for a medical emergency. Otherwise, urgent care or your doctor can see you today.
When to test
- Now, if it has been less than 72 hoursGo to an emergency room or urgent care clinic and ask about PEP. Every hour counts, and the first dose should not wait for a test result. See our HIV PEP page.
- If it has been more than 72 hoursPEP is no longer the right route, but you can still get tested by ordering an HIV test online, and a clinician can help with next steps if a result is positive.
- After the window period for your test typeA NAT can usually detect HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure, a lab antigen/antibody test 18 to 45 days, and antibody tests up to 90 days. A negative result taken earlier needs repeating. See our window periods page.
Common questions
Can I get HIV from protected sex?
Condoms greatly lower the risk but are hard to use perfectly every time. The CDC says condoms provide an impermeable barrier to HIV and that leaks from product failure are extremely rare, but that in practice correct use at every act is difficult to measure. If a condom breaks or slips, treat it as an exposure and ask about PEP within 72 hours.
What are the chances of getting HIV after just one exposure?
The CDC says there may be a relatively small chance of getting HIV from a single exposure with a partner who has HIV, but that risks add up if repeated. For sex, its per-act estimates run from 4 per 10,000 exposures to 138 per 10,000 depending on the type of sex. A small chance is still a reason to ask about PEP.
Can HIV pass from a woman to a man?
Yes. The CDC says either partner can get HIV during vaginal sex. Vaginal fluid and blood can pass through the opening at the tip of the penis, the foreskin, or cuts or sores. The CDC estimates 4 per 10,000 exposures for insertive vaginal sex with a partner who has HIV.
Do cuts or sores make HIV more likely?
The CDC says HIV can enter through cuts or sores on the penis and that having another STI may make you more likely to get or pass on HIV. If you have a cut or sore and a possible exposure, mention it to the clinician.
Is my risk lower if my partner is on HIV treatment?
Yes. The CDC says HIV treatment reduces the chances of transmission through sex, and that if a partner's viral load is undetectable they will not transmit HIV through sex. You often can't know a partner's viral load, so don't rely on it after an unplanned exposure.
Sources
This guide is general information written by a patient advocate using public health sources. It is not a diagnosis. Only a clinician who examines you, or a lab test, can tell you what you have. Read how we write and check our guides.