HIV/AIDS Glossary

Short-term treatment started as soon as possible after high-risk nonoccupational exposure to an infectious agent, such as HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV). Nonoccupational exposure refers to exposure to an infectious agent that occurs outside of one’s work, for example during sex or when people share needles to inject drugs. The purpose of nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP) is to reduce the likelihood of infection.