Guidance

EAGA guidance on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis

Updated guidance on occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) from the UK Chief Medical Officers' Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA).

Documents

Change to recommended regimen for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@dhsc.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Page updated 29 April 2015

The advice in the HIV window period (November 2014) statement replaces the advice in the PEP guidance with regards to the recommended follow-up schedule (pages 21-23 of the PEP guidance). A fourth generation serological test should be performed 4 weeks after the exposure event (deferred to 4 weeks from when the PEP course was completed). The need for an 8-week test following an occupational exposure incident should be determined by a risk assessment on a case-by-case basis.

The 2008 guidance is the latest publication from EAGA on HIV PEP following occupational exposure.

EAGA has supplemented this with separate advice on:

  • a change to the recommended regimen for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) (September 2014)
  • the need for PEP following occupational exposure to a source with undetectable viral load (December 2013)

All 3 documents and the HIV window period (November 2014) statement should be read in conjunction with local policy on managing incidents in occupational settings where workers are accidentally exposed to blood or body fluids.

Published 19 September 2008
Last updated 29 April 2015 + show all updates
  1. update to the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) guidance

  2. Added an update on the change to recommended regimen for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

  3. Updated advice regarding the need for PEP following occupational injuries resulting from needles, syringes and other sharp instruments contaminated with HIV.

  4. First published.