Did you know that medication for people with HIV is now so perfect that you can also lead a very normal life with HIV? People with HIV who take their medication faithfully can no longer transmit the virus. It is also safe for them to enter into a loving relationship and have children. The biggest problem for people with HIV is the negative connotation that still attaches to the virus.
In 2019, Sensoa (Flemish Expertise Center for Sexual Health) held a needs survey among more than 500 people with HIV. When asked what people need to live better with HIV, 41% spontaneously answered “less stigma in society”.
One in five
The reason why people with HIV do not feel good about themselves is often because they cannot talk about HIV and/or because they do not have a steady partner. People with a recent diagnosis are particularly at risk: one in five has felt depressed most or all of the time in the last month and they experience the least support from their environment. Receiving an HIV diagnosis is still a crisis that turns life upside down. The main obstacles are therefore the lack of support in processing the feelings of a recent diagnosis and talking about the diagnosis, especially with a new partner.
Digital signpost
To help people with HIV with these pain points, Sensoa developed a digital guide. ‘I have HIV, what now?’. The focus is on feelings and processing of a positive HIV diagnosis. The website offers useful information and tips. The stories of fellow sufferers who tell how they experienced this phase encourage people to seek help and support and to make a plan for the future. Extra attention is paid to help and services that suit the person. Even if you do not have HIV, the website is certainly useful because it also gives you an idea of the lives of people with HIV through testimonials. Because it is not so much the medical side that worries people with HIV in the first place, but the uncertainty and fear about possible negative reactions from those around them. Watching the video testimonials will help you understand even more how important it is not to judge people with HIV.
We wear a red ribbon today. You too?
Did you know that medication for people with HIV is now so perfect that you can also lead a very normal life with HIV? People with HIV who take their medication faithfully can no longer transmit the virus. It is also safe for them to enter into a loving relationship and have children. The biggest problem for people with HIV is the negative connotation that still attaches to the virus.
In 2019, Sensoa (Flemish Expertise Center for Sexual Health) held a needs survey among more than 500 people with HIV. When asked what people need to live better with HIV, 41% spontaneously answered “less stigma in society”.
One in five
The reason why people with HIV do not feel good about themselves is often because they cannot talk about HIV and/or because they do not have a steady partner. People with a recent diagnosis are particularly at risk: one in five has felt depressed most or all of the time in the last month and they experience the least support from their environment. Receiving an HIV diagnosis is still a crisis that turns life upside down. The main obstacles are therefore the lack of support in processing the feelings of a recent diagnosis and talking about the diagnosis, especially with a new partner.
Digital signpost
To help people with HIV with these pain points, Sensoa developed a digital guide. ‘I have HIV, what now?’. The focus is on feelings and processing of a positive HIV diagnosis. The website offers useful information and tips. The stories of fellow sufferers who tell how they experienced this phase encourage people to seek help and support and to make a plan for the future. Extra attention is paid to help and services that suit the person. Even if you do not have HIV, the website is certainly useful because it also gives you an idea of the lives of people with HIV through testimonials. Because it is not so much the medical side that worries people with HIV in the first place, but the uncertainty and fear about possible negative reactions from those around them. Watching the video testimonials will help you understand even more how important it is not to judge people with HIV.
We wear a red ribbon today. You too?
2023-12-01 16:09:59
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