From general to specific: moving past the general population in the HIV response across sub-Saharan Africa.

We recommend that the term general population be retired from the field's lexicon. HIV programmes should strengthen their capacity to describe the heterogeneity of those they serve and plan their interventions accordingly. To increase the efficiency and impact of the HIV response, it is urgent to stratify the category of general population by risk. Sexual networks are a promising basis for this stratification.