Post-exposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus: knowledge and experience of junior doctors

To assess the level of knowledge and experience of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among junior doctors.

A questionnaire was sent to all junior doctors working in two major teaching hospitals in London.

Most junior doctors had heard of PEP (93%) but fewer were aware that it reduced the rate of HIV transmission (76%). Only a minority of doctors (8%) could name the drugs recommended in recent national guidelines and a significant proportion (43%) could not name any. Almost one third (29%) did not know within what period PEP should be administered. This was despite the fact that the majority of respondents (76%) had experienced high risk exposure to potentially infective material at some stage in their careers and that a significant proportion (18%) had sought advice about PEP following potential exposures.

This study demonstrates that the junior hospital doctors in our survey had inadequate knowledge of PEP against HIV despite being at risk of occupational exposure.