Organising a counselling service for problems related to the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Recent Department of Health and Social Security (DHSS) guidelines on screening procedures for antibody to human T cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) have stressed the importance of providing adequate counselling for patients before and after testing. The establishment of a national acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) counselling training unit has enabled large numbers of National Health Service staff to be trained in this work. Suggestions for the establishment of district counselling facilities are made, based on this training, and some preliminary results showing change from high risk sexual behaviour after counselling are presented.