A positive diagnosis

You have probably been given this booklet because you have tested positive for HIV. This booklet is for any person who is diagnosed HIV positive – regardless of gender, sexuality, or cultural background. You may be feeling shocked, scared or frightened right now; however being HIV positive is no longer a death sentence in the developed world. People from all walks of life are living with HIV and many people enjoy full and active lives.

There are many services and specially trained people working at AIDS Councils and PLWHA [1]Person (or People) Living with HIV/AIDS. (People Living with HIV/AIDS) organisations in every Australian state and territory who can provide advice, support and further information. Some organisations have a specific focus such as ‘Positive Women’ or ‘HIV Positive Heterosexuals’. A full list of services for people with HIV is contained at the back of this booklet.

This booklet details how the virus [2]A small infective organism which is incapable of reproducing outside a host cell. affects your body, offers advice on how to manage your life as an HIV positive person and provides suggestions on how to make decisions around treatments, sex, telling people and your legal rights. It will not answer all of your questions, but it may be a useful starting point. You might also find this resource useful if you have been positive for a while and would like more information. This booklet has been written to provide you with advice that you might find useful at different times as you come to terms with your diagnosis. You might find some sections more relevant to you than others or you might decide you want to read the entire booklet to learn as much as you can about HIV.