Clinician Client Centered Counseling

A significant number of people with HIV/AIDS are engaged in sexual behaviors that put them and their partners at risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The prevention and control of HIV infection depends on the success of strategies aimed at preventing new infection and treating currently infected individuals. Thus it may be more efficient to change behavior among fewer HIV positive individuals than the many HIV negative ones. HIV preventive strategies that target HIV positive individuals are known as positive prevention strategies. With behavioral change still remaining a driving force against HIV, there is an urgent need for behavioral change prevention interventions. This counseling manual has been developed to help clinicians develop the necessary counseling skills required to carry out brief clinic based, client centered counseling for adult HIV positive patients so as to help improve their knowledge on HIV transmission and prevention, attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, sexual behaviors (such as condom use and reduction in multiple sexual partners) and status disclosure thus helping prevent the spread of HIV.