About these guidelines

These counselling guidelines begin with a discussion of principles underlying testing for HIV infection followed by ethical and legal issues and prerequisites for testing. The various stages of physician-patient interaction are outlined: pretest counselling, tests and post-test counselling. The special factors involved in counselling women and their children are highlighted, as are specific problems that physicians will encounter.

Where consultation with more experienced colleagues might be considered, the physician is directed to various sources: physicians with greater experience caring for people living with HIV or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), medical officers of health, provincial or territorial AIDS coordinators. Resources are listed at the end of the report, along with pre- and post-test counselling checklists, which may be photocopied and referred to during counselling sessions.

Guidelines in this document reflect the views of the Expert Working Group on HIV Testing: Counselling Guidelines. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations that the members represent, including Health Canada, and they are not intended to be construed or to serve as a standard of medical care.

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