Search for evidence of effective health promotion

Follow up may have to be for longer than six monthsEditor-Easterbrook and Ippolito recommend that staff who have been exposed to HIV should be followed up for at least six months after receiving post-exposure prophylaxis. 1 Ridzon et al recently reported on a nurse who declined post-exposure prophylaxis after a needlestick injury but subsequently seroconverted after an interval of between eight and nine and a half months. 2 The general implications of this with regard to testing for HIV antibody are far reaching, but seroconversion would probably be delayed if post-exposure prophylaxis was not successful.Thus people given post-exposure prophylaxis should probably be followed up for much longer than the authors recommend and, in addition, advised about practising safe sex throughout this time.Presumably healthcare workers who have been occupationally exposed should also consider avoiding exposure prone procedures.