Human immunodeficiency virus: what primary care clinicians need to know

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has evolved from an illness that consistently led to death to a chronic disease that can be medically managed. Primary care clinicians can provide beneficial care to the individual patient and potentially decrease the transmission of HIV to others through appropriate HIV screening and recognition of clinical clues to both chronic and acute HIV. Most patients who take combination antiretroviral therapy experience immune reconstitution and resume normal lives. These patients benefit from the care of an experienced primary care clinician in addition to a clinician with HIV expertise. Primary care clinicians have expertise providing preventive care, including counseling regarding healthier lifestyle choices and managing cardiovascular risk factors, osteoporosis, hypertension, and diabetes, all of which have become increasingly important for individuals with HIV as they age. This article reviews the many important roles of primary care clinicians with regard to the HIV epidemic and care of patients with HIV.