AEGiS-13IAC: Prophylaxis after non occupational HIV exposure : an overview of the policies implemented in 27 European countries.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Prophylaxis after non occupational HIV exposure : an overview of the policies implemented in 27 European countries.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. TuOrC316)

Rey D, Den Diane MK, Moatti JP
D. Rey, Regional Centre for Disease Control, 23 rus stalislas Torrents, 13006 Marseille, France, Tel.: +33 491 598 906, Fax: +33 491 598 918, E-mail: rey@marseille.inserm.fr

ISSUES: Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after occupational exposure is available, promoted and widely prescribed in most industrialised countries. With regard to the probability of HIV transmission by certain sexual or drug exposure, prophylaxis should be also considered after non occupational exposure. However implementation of such prophylaxis is still controversial in most European countries. This paper will describe the situations in European countries with regard to access to PEP after non-occupational exposure to HIV. Implications will be discussed and current debates occurring in the surveyed countries will be presented.

DESCRIPTION: Twenty seven European countries were involved in this survey which was part of an English-French project supported by the Commission of the European Communities. Data have been collected between September 1998 and February 1999 by a consultant of each country, through interviews of national representatives involved in AIDS policy or care, a review of local and/or national PEP guidelines and results of surveys carried out at national or local levels. The final comparative analysis of national policies and practices was carried out from the individual country reports and a review of the published literature.

CONCLUSIONS: PEP is theoretically currently available in the majority of European countries (18/27) but only a minority of European countries (6/27) have specific and detailed procedures regarding PEP in the non occupational context. Moreover, PEP public promotion through information campaigns is only done in two of these countries. In fact, in lack of detailed protocol for health care workers, in lack of information in the general population and because of a great number of geographical and economical limitations, rapid access to PEP after sexual or IDU exposure is actually not guaranteed in most European countries.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV Infections, Anti-HIV Agents, Public Policy, HIV, Health Policy, Drug Therapy, Combination, Occupational Exposure, Data Collection, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, European Union, prevention & control, therapy, drug therapy
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TuOrC316