ATLANTA, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new guidelines for using anti-retroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection after an assault or accident.
The use of anti-retroviral drugs soon after high-risk exposure to someone known to be infected with HIV -- the pathogen that causes AIDS -- can reduce the chances of infection by 80 percent. The drugs also can reduce by 50 percent the risk of a mother passing an HIV infection to her child.
Such treatment has been routinely used for health workers exposed by accident, such as through an inadvertent needle stick. It also has been used for victims of sexual assault, those who have had unprotected sex and people exposed to HIV through drug use.
The new CDC guidelines recommend using anti-retroviral drugs within 72 hours of exposure. The treatment should be continued for 28 days. If there is uncertainty about the HIV status of the person, the CDC leaves it up to the doctor to balance the risks of infection against the risk of side effects from the drugs.
The treatment is not recommended for those exposed frequently to HIV infection.
