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New public health guidelines on occupational HIV exposure and postexposure prophylaxis

September 15th, 2025 Lindsay MacMurray

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on behalf of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), has released the 2025 Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis (PEP). The guidelines are published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE).

The 2025 guidelines reaffirm many of the practices recommended in the 2013 PHS Guidelines while incorporating major updates that reflect the latest evidence and therapeutic advances. The recommendations provide practical, evidence-based guidance for health care personnel (HCP) following occupational exposures to HIV.

Key updates include:

New antiretroviral regimens for PEP based on low rates of side effects and convenient dosing schedules.
Shortened duration of follow-up HIV testing after occupational exposure.
Elimination of routine follow-up laboratory testing for antiretroviral drug toxicity when baseline testing is normal and no signs or symptoms of toxicity develop during PEP.
Considerations for PEP in cases where the source patient has an undetectable viral load.
Guidance for health care personnel already on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) at the time of occupational exposure.

"These updated guidelines reflect the latest evidence and therapeutic advances, helping ensure that health care personnel receive timely, safe, and effective care after potential HIV exposure," said Dr. David J. Weber, President SHEA Board of Trustees and Associate Editor, ICHE. "They also recognize the changing landscape of HIV prevention, including the increasing use of PrEP among health care providers."

The 2025 PHS Guidelines continue to emphasize the importance of prompt evaluation and initiation of PEP following occupational exposures, while streamlining follow-up protocols to reduce unnecessary testing and burden on health care personnel.

More information:
2025 US Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Recommendations for Post-exposure Prophylaxis in Healthcare Settings, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (2025). DOI: 10.1017/ice.2025.10254

Provided by Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

Citation: New public health guidelines on occupational HIV exposure and postexposure prophylaxis (2025, September 15) retrieved 15 September 2025 from https://sciencex.com/wire-news/519404738/new-public-health-guidelines-on-occupational-hiv-exposure-and-po.html

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