HIV Counseling, Testing, and Referral - American Family Physician

Volume 70, Number 2 www.aafp.org/afp American Family Physician 295 I n the absence of a cure for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, prevention is the most effective strategy for reducing the number of new cases.1,2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a strategic plan for the prevention of HIV infection. By the year 2005, the CDC seeks to achieve the following: reduce annual new HIV infections from the current estimated 40,000 cases to 20,000 cases through the use of interventions such as counseling, HIV testing, and referral; increase the proportion of persons who know they are infected with HIV from the currently estimated 70 percent to 95 percent through voluntary HIV counseling and testing; and increase the proportion of HIV-infected persons who are linked to appropriate prevention, care, and treatment services from the currently estimated 50 percent to 80 percent.3 Patients who know they are infected with HIV are more likely to adopt behavioral changes to reduce transmission of the virus.3