All adolescent and adult patients should be advised about
risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and counseled
appropriately about effective measures to reduce the risk
of infection (see Clinical Intervention). Counseling should
be tailored to the individual risk factors, needs, and abilities
of each patient. This recommendation is based on the proven
efficacy of risk reduction, although the effectiveness of
clinician counseling in the primary care setting is uncertain.
Individuals at risk for specific STDs should be offered
testing in accordance with recommendations on screening
for syphilis, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus infection, HIV
infection, and chlamydial infection (see Chapters 24, 26-29).
Injection drug users should be advised about measures to
reduce their risk and referred to appropriate treatment
facilities (see Chapter 53).
