Preventing Hiv Occupational Exposure

With the spread of the HIV epidemic, healthcare workers in China have faced an enormous increase in HIV testing and a substantial increase in people living with HIV who need care. The total number of incidents of HIV exposure among healthcare workers has been increasing annually, especially in the hospital setting. In response, China issued guidelines in 2004 addressing the prevention and management of occupational exposure to HIV, which included the adoption of universal precautions and the administration of postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). This new policy has increased knowledge of safety measures and the availability of PEP among healthcare workers. However, although the numbers of HIV cases resulting from occupational exposure has stabilized, barriers to reducing the number of these cases, including selective adherence to universal precautions, issues with accessing PEP, and incomplete reporting and follow-up, persist.