Office of HIV/AIDS & Viral Hepatitis

Information for Providers

Blood-borne Pathogens

Non-Occupational HIV Post Exposure Prophylaxis Guidelines for Rhode Island Health Care Providers
HIV post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a secondary preventive method that may reduce the incidence of HIV infections. HIV PEP is divided into two types: occupational and non-occupational. Occupational PEP is available through employers for nurses, EMT’s, doctors, or other professionals who may have been exposed to HIV at work. Non-occupational PEP is typically employed after sexual assault, consensual sex or needle stick injuries to at-risk patients who are not health care professionals. PEP is available at different PEP sites throughout the state.

Standard Precautions (Universal Precautions)

The following sites provide information for agencies on blood born pathogens including universal precautions and staff training standards.

• OSHA standards for Bloodborne Infectious Diseases: HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus
• Exposure to Blood: What Health Care Workers Need to Know

Antiretroviral Postexposure Prophylaxis After Sexual, Injection-Drug Use, or Other Nonoccupational Exposure to HIV in the United States Recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HTML) (PDF) (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol 54, No RR02;1 01/21/2005)
The most effective means of preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is preventing exposure. The provision of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection after unanticipated sexual or injection-drug--use exposure might be beneficial.