[Free anonymous screening consultation and clinical management of HIV infection]

In France, since 1988, anonymous and free consultations (called CDAG) have been settled in the country to facilitate an individual and volunteer approach for HIV screening. At the time, there are more than 380 CDAG with newly defined objectives. CDAG are supposed to encourage early screening, facilitate access to precarious persons and persons at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, and reinforce prevention, helping consultants to define a personal preventive strategy. CDAG are also supposed to play a role in prevention of both hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. They may help to link screening and healthcare. Their activity is increasing and the rate of positive test is twice that of private laboratories. Patients consulting those facilities are younger and more at risk than general population. Between 1000 and 2000 HIV positive tests are detected in CDAG each year (11 % of positive tests in the country). The real impact on prevention and screening at the national level is unknown, in part because of anonymity. To improve the characterization of consultants, data collection will be modified in 2004, and a network of selected and volunteer centres will collect continuously more accurate data.