Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

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HIV key documents

Key documents on and about HIV policy and DH strategy on HIV.

Travel safe: reducing the risk of getting a blood-borne infection when you're abroad

Published: 2 April 2008

This leaflet offers advice on how people travelling abroad can minimise their risks of becoming infected with HIV, hepatitis B or hepatitis C.

Improving the detection and diagnosis of HIV in non-HIV specialties including primary care

Published 13 September 2007

This letter highlights best practice about offering and recommending, where appropriate, HIV testing in all healthcare settings, not just those traditionally offering this service. The number of people living with HIV infection in England is continuing to rise due both to new infections and successful treatment for those diagnosed promptly. Delayed diagnosis can limit treatment options and result in premature death.

Health clearance for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV: New healthcare workers

Published: 16 March 2007

This guidance provides advice on health clearance of new healthcare workers for tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS: UK Report on progress

The UK was one of the 189 countries that endorsed the UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS in 2001. The monitoring process requires the submission of periodic reports to UNAIDS on national progress focussing on domestic HIV programmes. UNAIDS will analyse reports received and prepare a Global Report for the Secretary General to present at the next UNGASS on AIDS planned for early June

HIV related stigma and discrimination: Action plan

The need for action to tackle the stigma associated with HIV was identified in the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV in 2001, and a commitment to publish an HIV stigma action plan was made in the strategy's implementation action plan in 2002.

Children's HIV National Network (CHINN) Review 2005

This document provides good practice guidance on the development of paediatric HIV service networks outside London.

It builds on work already undertaken on paediatric HIV service networks in London in 2004. It reports on a review of current medical service provision for children with HIV and makes recommendations on models of service provision within networks for the future.

HIV Infected Health Care Workers: Guidance on Management and Patient Notification (Gateway reference number 4557)

Published: 28/07/2005

This guidance replaces the 1998 version and includes updated advice on patient notification exercises when a health care worker is found to be infected with HIV.The long-standing restriction on HIV infected health care workers carrying out exposure prone procedures remains.

Oral sex and transmission of HIV: Statement of risk

This provides information on the risks of transmission of HIV during unprotected oral sex.

Children in need and bloodborne viruses: HIV and hepatitis

Published: 05/11/2004

This document replaces guidance on prevention and testing in Children and HIV: Guidance for local authorities (1992) and includes advice about hepatitis B and C. Subjects covered include preventing bloodborne virus transmission, testing for bloodborne viruses and useful sources of information and advice.

HIV and infant feeding: Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers' Expert Advisory Group on AIDS

Published: 24/09/2004

Following a review of the research evidence, this updated guidance reaffirms existing advice. Directed to health professionals who advise HIV-infected pregnant women and new mothers, it recommends avoidance of breastfeeding as part of a programme of interventions to reduce the risk of mother to child HIV transmission.

HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officer's Expert Advisory Group on AIDS

Published: 01/02/2004

This document updates guidance on occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) from the UK Chief Medical Officer' Expert Advisory Group on AIDS (EAGA) issued in July 2000.

Recommended standards for NHS HIV services

 The new recommended standards for NHS HIV services have been developed with the aim of enabling people with HIV in England to access the same quality of care wherever they live. The care pathway for people with HIV provides a framework for the standards, and the focus is on patient-centred care.

Screening for infectious diseases in pregnancy: Standards to support the UK antenatal screening programme

Published: 11/08/2003

These generic and disease-specific standards cover screening for rubella antibody, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B, the four infections currently included in the UK antenatal-screening programme.

PL CO (2002)2: Prevalence of HIV and Hepatitis infections in the UK 2001 - unlinked anonymous surveys

Published: 29/11/2002

This report brings together information on relevant markers of HIV and hepatitis prevalence, HIV incidence, risk management and behaviour utilisation. These data are combined to produce prevention indicators for HIV and hepatitis transmission which can then be monitored over time.

Good practice guidelines for renal dialysis/transplantation units: prevention and control of blood-borne virus infection

Published: 03/09/2002

This guidance contains recommendations of the working group convened by the Public Health Laboratory Service on behalf of the Department of Health. It applies primarily to renal haemodialysis units but aspects will also apply to other units.

The national strategy for sexual health and HIV implementation action plan

The implementation action plan details how the interventions proposed in the strategy, published for consultation in July 2001, will be delivered. It also addresses key concerns raised in the consultation.

Getting ahead of the curve: a strategy for combating infectious diseases (including other aspects of health protection)

Published: 10/01/2002

This sets out an infectious diseases strategy for England. It aims to describe the scope of the threat posed by infectious diseases, as well as establishing the priorities for action to combat the threat.

Review of the evidence on risk of HIV transmission associated with oral sex - Report of a working group of the UK Chief Medical Officers' Expert Advisory Group on AIDS

Published: 01/06/2000

This report considers the extent of current knowledge, based on a review of the literature and an analysis of case reports, case control studies, cross-sectional studies and related studies.

Guidance for clinical health care workers: protection against infection with blood-borne viruses

This booklet contains guidance on measures to protect clinical health care workers (HCWs) against occupational infection with blood-borne viruses (BBVs). It is based on the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group on AIDS and the Advisory Group on Hepatitis. It draws also on work done by the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens and the Microbiology Advisory Committee.

Guidelines for pre-test discussion on HIV testing

The United Kingdom Health Departments recommended in 1996 that named testing for evidence of HIV infection should only be undertaken with informed consent. HSC 1999/183 announced a new policy on antenatal HIV testing: all women in England are now offered and recommended an HIV test as part of their antenatal care, not just those in high prevalence areas.

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