HIV infection and South-West general practitioners.

General practitioners in the Severn Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners were asked about their knowledge and practice in dealing with HIV infected patients. 62% responded to our anonymous questionnaire. Overall, four-fifths of the doctors expressed confidence in their ability to advise HIV antibody positive patients on sexual activity, drug abuse and domestic activities. Only 61% were confident of their ability to advise such patients on pregnancy. Differences in screening policy and measures of awareness were related to location of practice by county within the Region and to the presence of HIV infected patients on individual lists. The findings are discussed in relation to previous surveys of general practitioners in the UK.