Advice should be given for the following blood and body fluid exposures:
- Vaginal: do not douche
- Rectal: do not douche
- Oral cavity: spit out blood and body fluids and rinse mouth well with water
- Eyes: irrigate well with clean water or normal saline
- Other mucous membranes: irrigate well with water
- Intact skin exposures: wash with soap and water to remove any blood or body fluid
- Small skin wounds: cleanse with an antiseptic, for example, an alcohol-based hand rub
- Alcohol is virucidal to HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Other antiseptics, such as chloroxylenol and chlorhexidine also inactivate HIV29
- All wounds: do not squeeze to express blood.
