Counselling challenges in haemophilia and HIV infection/AIDS

The advent of AIDS has had such a deep-reaching effect on the international haemophilia community that one can make a reasonable distinction between a pre-AIDS and a post-AIDS era in haemophilia management. In the context of counselling, however, talking about a 'before' and an 'after' in haemophilia does not (and, in our opinion, should not) necessarily imply a separation of the past from the present. Dealing with the psycho-social implications of haemophilia and HIV infection does not mean focusing exclusively on HIV-generated problems at the expense of haemophilia-related issues. Since the HIV crisis, counselling has posed the multiple challenge of: (a) assessing and alleviating the more immediate emotional effects of HIV infection; (b) paying due attention to the underlying influence of haemophilia on reaction, defence and coping; (c) formulating a flexible approach that is based on close cooperation with the medical staff and effective interpersonal communication with the counsellees.* In practice, the flexibility and effectiveness of the counselling model are promoted by means of: (a) ongoing counselling, (b) multiple counselling sites (i.e. the Haemophilia Centre and other appropriate locations), (c) interdisciplinary team-work, (d) respect for individual/ ethnic values, (e) maintenance of exo-empathy (i.e. neutrality), and (f) transfer of coping skills. The above framework can help maximize the effectiveness of counselling sessions through a personalized rapport of mutual trust and confidence between the counselling team and the counsellees.