At a glance
Many HIV professional associations and government organizations, including CDC, have developed guidelines and recommendations for HIV screening, prevention, and treatment and care.
HIV testing
Guidelines for HIV testing continue to evolve with changes in testing technology and methods to reach persons who can benefit from these services. The listed documents provide the most updated CDC guidelines on HIV testing for testing providers, program managers, and laboratory personnel.
Guidelines
Title
Description and status
HIV Infection: Detection, Counseling and Referral chapter within the STI Treatment Guidelines (2021)
Provides HIV screening recommendations for persons who seek evaluation and treatment for STDs.
Status: Current
This MMWR policy note provides an update on CDC's initiative to assess the benefits and harms associated with more frequent screening of MSM.
Provides updated recommendations for HIV testing by laboratories in the United States and describes approaches for reporting test results to persons ordering HIV tests and to public health authorities.
The 2017 technical update provides information on the use of the Alere Determine HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab Combo single use rapid test (Determine) in laboratories where it is not feasible to conduct an instrumented antigen/antibody test as the initial test in the algorithm.
Supporting documents:
Status: Current- Quick Reference Guide—Laboratory Testing for the Diagnosis of HIV Infection: Updated Recommendations (2018): A two-page summary of the recommendations.
- Suggested Reporting Language for the HIV Laboratory Diagnostic Testing Algorithm (2017)
Provides recommendations on testing of living and deceased donors.
Provides recommendations on routine, opt-out HIV screening of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health care settings in the United States.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Provides recommendations on testing in nonclinical settings.
Note: Information on HIV testing may not be consistent with latest technologies.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Implementation Resources
The following documents and webpages contain information, tools, resources and practice examples developed or funded by CDC to support implementation of guidelines.
Nonclinical settings
Title
Description and status
Grantee guidance to support the implementation of HIV testing services in nonclinical settings in the United States. The purpose of the guide is to familiarize providers with key programmatic issues and updates that impact HIV testing service delivery in nonclinical settings.
Status: Current
A CDC webpage that provides information and resources for providers and public on HIV testing.
Status: Current
Serves as a companion resource to the Planning and Implementing HIV Testing and Linkage Programs in Non-Clinical Settings: A Guide for Program Managers. Provides information, exercises, and tools to design and implement a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategy for HIV testing and linkage programs in non-clinical settings.
Note: Information on HIV testing may not be consistent with latest technologies.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Clinical settings
Title
Description and status
A CDC webpage that provides information and resources for providers and public on HIV testing in clinical settings.
Status: Current
Implementation of Routine HIV Testing in Health Care Settings: Issues for Community Health Centers (2011)
Jointly developed by CDC and The National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc. (NACHC), the document provides model, tools, and resources that health centers or primary care entity can use to rapidly launch routine HIV screening during the planning and implementation stages.
Note: Information on HIV testing may not be consistent with latest technologies.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
HIV prevention
The guidelines and related implementation resources below provide guidance about prevention strategies and services that can prevent or diagnose new HIV infections and link individuals at risk to relevant prevention, medical and social services.
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) guidelines
Title
Description and status
This updates the review of scientific evidence on the safety and efficacy of antiretroviral HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The update includes guidance for recommended initial and follow-up STD screening, revised HIV testing strategies, and recommended primary care practices for patients being prescribed oral or injectable PrEP.
Status: Current
This update provides revised checklists, patient information sheets, and billing codes for both oral and injectable PrEP and includes guidance for counseling patients about adherent PrEP use.
Status: Current
Non-occupational PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) guidelines
Title
Description and status
Updates and expands the 2005 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommendations for clinical care providers regarding nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP) for exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) outside the health care setting for persons in the United States. The update includes pediatric dosing information.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Outlines and adapts existing general recommendations on the use of immunization and postexposure prophylaxis for tetanus and for occupational and nonoccupational exposures to bloodborne pathogens to the specific situation of a mass-casualty event.
Note: Information about the use of PEP with HIV has been updated in newer guidelines.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Occupational PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) guidelines
Title
Description and status
Updates U.S. Public Health Service recommendations for the management of health-care personnel (HCP) who have occupational exposure to blood and/or other body fluids that might contain HIV. Although the principles of exposure management remain unchanged, recommended HIV postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens and the duration of HIV follow-up testing for exposed personnel have been updated.
Status: Current
Partner services
Title
Description and status
Implementation Resources:
This report provides updated, integrated recommendations for services provided to partners of persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and three other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (i.e., syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infection.)
Note: Some recommendations and supporting evidence have been updated in the Recommendations for HIV Prevention with Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Intended to serve as a quick reference resource and as such, lists only the recommendations and data security guidelines included in the MMWR.
Note: Some of the recommendations on partner services have been updated in the Recommendations for HIV Prevention with Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
Note: Some of the recommendations on partner services have been updated in the Recommendations for HIV Prevention with Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Contraceptive use and preconception care
Title
Description and status
This document includes recommendations for using specific contraceptive methods by women and men who have certain characteristics or medical conditions.
Status: Current
Provides recommendations to improve both preconception health and care. The goal of these recommendations is to improve the health of women and couples, before conception of a first or subsequent pregnancy.
Note: Some of the recommendations have been updated/adapted in the Recommendations for HIV Prevention with Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
STD treatment guidelines
Title
Description and status
Provides updated recommendations for the screening and treatment of persons who have or are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV.
Status: Current
Prevention and care for people with HIV
The guidelines and related implementation resources below provide guidance about prevention strategies to help reduce the risk of HIV transmission and improve linkage and retention in care and treatment services for people with HIV.
Guidelines
Title
Description and status
This document provides guidance to health care providers attending to the medical needs of adults and children with HIV who have been displaced from disaster areas and who have not yet secured HIV care in the areas where they have relocated.
Status: Current
Updates and expands the 2003 guideline, Incorporating HIV prevention into the medical care of persons living with HIV. It compiles longstanding and new federal recommendations about biomedical, behavioral, and structural interventions that can help reduce the risk of HIV transmission from persons with HIV.
Status: Current
This document includes recommendations for using specific contraceptive methods by women and men who have certain characteristics or medical conditions.
Status: Current
HIV Infection: Detection, Counseling and Referral chapter within the STI Treatment Guidelines (2021)
Provides updated recommendations for the screening and treatment of persons who have or are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV.
Status: Current
Summarizes as of 2011, guidelines or recommendations published by multiple agencies of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for prevention and control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and tuberculosis (TB) for persons who use drugs illicitly.
Note: A few of the recommendations have been updated/adapted in the Recommendations for HIV Prevention with Adults and Adolescents with HIV (2014) and STI Treatment Guidelines.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Implementation resources
Title
Description and status
Covers resources related to this guideline.
Status: Current
HIV surveillance
Visit CDC's HIV data guidelines and resources
Find guidance about surveillance and reporting of HIV data; confidentiality, privacy, and security; and implementation guidance.
Program management
The document below provides guidance to professionals about methods for designing, implementing, managing, and evaluating HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs.
Collaboration and coordination
Title
Description and Status
Describes the use of case management in different settings, examines benefits and barriers to case management collaboration and coordination, and identifies methods for strengthening linkages between HIV/AIDS case management programs. It includes examples of successful models to aid users in eliminating or reducing service gaps and duplication in the delivery of services.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Implementation resources
Title
Description and status
Intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities by establishing a blueprint for health and health care organizations. Assurance of Confidentiality Statement
Status: Current
This white paper outlines NCHHSTP’s strategic vision for program collaboration and service integration, building on and refining concepts outlined in a 2007 green paper.
Status: Some sections may be out of date
Connects learners to quality public health and healthcare training opportunities and educational tools developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CDC partners, and other organizations recognized for developing public health training resources.
Status: Current
CDC TRAIN provides access to over 1300 courses developed by the CDC programs, grantees, and other funded partners. Courses offered by CDC course providers have been approved and verified by CDC.
Status: Current
Resources for HIV prevention providers such as health departments and community-based organizations to provide the best evidence-based HIV prevention services.
Status: Current
CDC-funded group of training centers created in partnership with health departments and universities. The PTCs are dedicated to increasing the knowledge and skills of health professionals in the areas of sexual health.
Status: Current
Administrated by HRSA, the Target Center provides technical assistance (TA) and training resources for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. Audience includes Ryan White grantees and providers, planning bodies, HRSA/HAB staff, consumers in search of services, various health and human service agencies, and the general public.
Status: Current
Resource for training, education, and technical assistance to clinicians, providers and organizations in multicultural HIV/AIDS care.
Status: Current
Relevant guidance to help direct service-providing health departments bill third party payers.
Status: Current