HIV counselling in the 1990s and beyond

It is 15 years since AIDS was first described in the medical literature. Reports of immune system disorders among gay men in large cities in the USA in 1981 signalled the start of what has now become a pandemic affecting millions of people. The psychological impact of HIV infection has been well-documented and it is widely reported that psychological treatment is mosdy provided for the treatment of adjustment reactions. Counselling for HIV prevention and HIV antibody testing has also been at the forefront of psychological support services. More recenuy, there has been a determined effort among counsellors to develop a range of psychotherapeutic approaches to help people to cope with and adjust to living with terminal illness. Most research published in the 1980s on the psychological impact of HIV addressed the infected individual. This symposium introduces a growing interest in the field for counselling those who are affected by HIV, including families, health-care workers and communities. This trend is becoming the focus of many counselling programmes worldwide and is likely to continue throughout the 1990s and beyond.