Prescription of HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis in emergency care units and return for follow-up appointments in specialized services in Salvador, Brazil, 2018: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To analyze HIV Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) prescription and return for follow-up appointments. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using data on people who sought PEP in emergency care units (UPAs) and specialized medical services in Salvador, BA, Brazil, between January-December/2018. Results: Of the 1,525 people who sought PEP at UPAs, 1,273 (83.5%) met PEP eligibility criteria, while 252 (16.5%) did not; of the eligible group, 1,166 (91.6%) had antiretrovirals prescribed, while 107 (8.4%) eligible people did not; of the total number of people with PEP prescriptions, only 226 (19.4%) returned for the first follow-up appointment, 115 (9.9%) for the second, and 33 (2.8%) for the third in order to complete the protocol. Conclusion: We found a significant proportion of eligible users who did not have PEP prescribed at UPAs and a significant loss of return for specialized service follow-up appointments.