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National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention |
Are health care workers at risk of getting HIV on the job? The risk of health care workers being exposed to HIV on the job is very low, especially if they carefully follow universal precautions (i.e., using protective practices and personal protective equipment to prevent HIV and other blood-borne infections). It is important to remember that casual, everyday contact with an HIV-infected person does not expose health care workers or anyone else to HIV. For health care workers on the job, the main risk of HIV transmission is through accidental injuries from needles and other sharp instruments that may be contaminated with the virus; however even this risk is small. Scientists estimate that the risk of infection from a needle-stick is less than 1 percent, a figure based on the findings of several studies of health care workers who received punctures from HIV-contaminated needles or were otherwise exposed to HIV-contaminated blood. For more information on preventing occupational exposure to HIV, refer to the CDC fact sheet, “Preventing Occupational HIV Transmission to Healthcare Personnel” available at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/hcwprev.htm. Although the most important
strategy for reducing the risk of occupational HIV transmission is to prevent
occupational exposures, plans for postexposure
management of health care personnel should be in place. For guidelines
on management of occupational exposure, refer to the June 29, 2001 Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, “Updated U.S. Public Health Service
Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and
HIV and Recommendations
for Postexposure Prophylaxis” available at For more information on HIV and health care workers, visit the health care worker section of the CDC National Prevention Information Network (NPIN) Web site at http://www.cdcnpin.org/scripts/population/hcw.asp, or call NPIN at 1-800-458-5231. To find a testing site near you, visit the National HIV Testing Resources web site at http://www.hivtest.org. LEGEND:= Link is outside of the DHAP domain...click the BACK button to return to this page.
Last Updated: December 15, 2003 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention Contact Us |