Risk-assessment interviewing for HIV.

Halting the spread of AIDS and HIV infection has become the top priority for clinicians and public health officials. The majority of HIV infection transmission occurs as a result of specific behaviors. A thorough discussion of the individual history is necessary to learn about a patient's lifestyle and formulate an HIV risk assessment. This article examines the two principal behaviors responsible for HIV transmission--injection drug use and high-risk sexual activity--and discusses in detail how to conduct risk-assessment interviews.