[Management of patients with HIV/AIDS by the general practitioner]

Dealing with HIV/AIDS in primary care encompasses preventive, curative, social and psychological aspects within a framework of a person-centred approach. Antiretroviral treatments enable the control of HIV infection, prevent opportunistic infections, reduce the risk of the sexual transmission and allow patients to "live their life" with an increased life expectancy, active sexuality and need to procreate. The holistic care of patients should always be the primary concern. An increased involvement of GP's in HIV care can raise the quality of care, reduce the stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV. Medical care providers can substantially affect HIV transmission by positively reinforcing changes to safe behavior, by referring patients for specialized services and working in direct collaboration with them, by facilitating partner counselling and testing. It might be considered to create a "path of HIV care" in the perspective of an optimal collaboration between primary care and specialists. However, providers must interweave the" half-baked "science about drug therapies, side effects and drug interactions with the psychosocial and lifestyle factors of the patient. Sometimes it's not easy to find adequate and relevant information about HIV in primary care. This document will provide primary care givers the keys for improvement, increase their basic HIV-related skills (and strengthen their role in HIV/AIDS prevention and follow-up) and make them more confident in their assessments.