[Prevention of HIV infection in mother and child--the importance of discussion with young future parents].

The prevention of HIV infection in mothers and newborns is of growing concern in the fight against AIDS, for a variety of reasons, particularly the increasing numbers of pregnancies in seropositive women, infected through intravenous drug use or heterosexual transmission. It is imperative in this regard to reach effectively the adolescents, entering a period of active exercise of their sexuality, in order to discuss with them the consequences, for their daily lives, of the existence of the AIDS virus. At the International Conference on the Implications of AIDS for Mothers and Children (Paris, November 1989), the author was requested to describe the efforts made in Switzerland. He recalls the relevant epidemiological facts, then presents the approaches used and actions undertaken, both in and out of the school setting. Emphasis is put on the need to work in an interdisciplinary (networking) and flexible manner. A priority orientation must be to develop actions among and by peers, led and organized by the youth themselves.