HIV/AIDS. Caring for families in the community

Primary health care workers have a vital role in offering advice, support and comfort to families affected by Aids and HIV, write Sue Appleby and Corinne Moore. Here they describe the specialist health visiting service provided in Parkside, west London, for parents and children with HIV infection. But generic health visitors and school nurses must also be aware of the issues and alert to signs of undiagnosed infection as they are likely to be increasingly involved in providing a 'normal' service to families affected by Aids/HIV.