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Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV is recommended by international, national, and state guidelines, but implementation among sexual assault survivors is challenging. To better identify and characterize barriers to service delivery, investigators conducted a protocol-driven pilot program at 18 sexual-assault treatment facilities in Ontario, Canada. The program was free to patients and involved risk assessment, PEP recommendation (based on source characteristics and exposure type), medication provision, and intensive medical follow-up.
From September 2003 through January 2005, 1103 individuals (97% women) were evaluated for PEP eligibility after sexual assault. The 121 who presented ≥72 hours after assault were excluded, as were the 81 who…