HIV and AIDS: Clinical Essentials for Infection Prevention and Control - 1 AOA Category 1-A Credit

Provided by an AOA-accredited Category 1 CME sponsor, this activity is eligible for AOA Category 1-A credit and includes instructor interaction; questions submitted by email will receive a response within 48 hours. HIV prevention and care require clinical precision and legal clarity, especially as treatment options and public health guidance continue to evolve. This activity equips osteopathic physicians and other licensed healthcare professionals with practical, evidence-informed knowledge to prevent transmission, support early diagnosis, and deliver safe, compliant care for patients living with or at risk for HIV. Participants will review HIV transmission, staging, and epidemiology, then apply current clinical strategies, including antiretroviral therapy and HIV prophylaxis, within real-world patient workflows. The course also reinforces occupational infection control protocols aligned with current guidance, helping clinicians protect patients and staff while maintaining consistent documentation and practice standards. In addition, the activity addresses essential legal and ethical obligations related to HIV testing, informed consent, confidentiality, reporting requirements, and patient rights. Grounded in whole-person, patient-centered care, this training supports stigma-free clinical environments that recognize the biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors influencing health outcomes.

This activity provides licensed healthcare professionals with essential clinical and legal knowledge for the prevention and management of HIV and AIDS. Participants will review the transmission, stages, and epidemiology of HIV, differentiate between current clinical strategies such as antiretroviral therapies and HIV prophylaxis, and apply occupational infection control protocols in accordance with current public health guidance and applicable laws and regulations.

The activity supports whole-person, patient-centered practice by emphasizing early diagnosis and prevention and the creation of safe, stigma-free clinical environments that acknowledge the interaction of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.

The primary goal is to equip providers to deliver safe, compassionate, and legally compliant care to all patients, including those living with or at risk for HIV. This course addresses the ongoing need for clinicians to remain current with evolving HIV treatment guidelines and to understand their legal and ethical obligations related to HIV testing, informed consent, patient confidentiality, reporting requirements, and the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS.