Human immunodeficiency virus infection prevention: strategies for clinicians

Abstract

The complexity of the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has made the creation of effective prevention programs an evolving and challenging task. Prevention of new HIV infections is an issue of increasing importance as the prevalence of HIV infection continues to increase. The integration of prevention and clinical care is recognized as a key element of future prevention activities. Prevention of HIV infection should extend beyond the traditional public health model to the clinical care site. The clinical care setting offers a unique opportunity to bring people with HIV disease into care and to establish relationships, thus creating a foundation for prevention-related activities. However, the expertise and energy that clinicians currently dedicate to diagnosis and treatment far exceeds that directed toward prevention. We review details about and the efficacies of specific prevention efforts of relevance in clinical practice, and we conclude with practical recommendations regarding the most simple and efficient ways of integrating both behavioral counseling and medical interventions as prevention tools into clinical practice.