What does HIV mean for women?

Women of all sexualities, cultural backgrounds and ages are living with HIV.

Many of these women are leading healthy and full lives. Some of these women have chosen to have a family while others have made different choices about how they wish to live their lives.

As an HIV positive woman, you have many rights. You have the right to have children, you have the right to love and be loved, the right to have a full and healthy sex life, the right to take control of your own health and make decisions around treatments.

HIV positive women may face many unique issues. Women are generally the primary care givers of children and others in families, which might mean you have to juggle your family’s needs with your own needs. It can help to talk to other positive women about their experiences. Contact your local AIDS Council or PLWHA [1]Person (or People) Living with HIV/AIDS. organisation to talk to other women about issues you might be facing – either now or in the future.

Indigo: “ You just feel really different. It was when I started to meet other positive women that things started to change.”