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Social and emotional support

For people living with HIV/AIDS, wellbeing means more than just the absence of illness, and access to social and emotional support services is essential

NAPWA's HIV Living Unit works to ensure that governments, policy makers and service providers understand and respond to the needs of positive people across the country.

Key aspects of this area of our work include responding to the government's welfare reform agenda, advocating on behalf of positive people in their dealings with government agencies, and developing the capacity of PLWHA organisations.

Positive Living Centres: do we still need them?

Positive Living article • David Menadue • 26 June 2008

Mostly established at a time when positive people faced isolation and stigma and urgently needed social support, the role of Positive Living is now being questioned. David Menadue investigates. read more »

Benchmarks Towards a Better Place

Report • Peter Canavan • 15 December 2007

This report directly names problems and in some cases proposes solutions, around issues relating to stigma and discrimination, the ‘burden’ of illness, access to services, financial pressures, employment issues, access to services for people in rural and regional areas and peer support. read more »

NAPWA Care and Support Audit

Discussion paper • Peter Canavan • 30 November 2007

The Care and Support Snapshot Survey (CSSS) prepared by NAPWA asks and then listens to the perceptions of a range of positive people. It includes a number of questions about service needs, constituency and representation, geography and the policy and advocacy work of NAPWA through the lens of positive people. read more »

Making it real: Activating our Care and Support Response

Positive Living article • Peter Canavan • 19 January 2006

The care and support needs of positive people are changing and remain poorly understood. A landmark NAPWA project aims to improve our knowledge in this important area, writes PETER CANAVAN. read more »

Peer-to-peer

Positive Living article • Vic Perri • 19 May 2005

HIV peer support, one of our community’s first responses to the challenges of HIV/AIDS, remains as relevant as ever today, writes VIC PERRI. read more »

Where we get support

From Having a life • 28 October 2003

HIV raises all sorts of issues that we may find hard to deal with and there is nothing to be gained from trying to cope with our feelings in isolation. Needing emotional support doesn’t mean we’ve failed. In this section we talk about where and how we get support. read more »

Your support options

From Having a life • 28 October 2003

There are many ways to get emotional support. don’t be afraid to shop around for what suits you. Your local PLWHAPerson (or People) Living with HIV/AIDS. or AIDS Council is a good source of information and contacts for different kinds of support. See links pages. See also the section on Mental Wellbeing in the Looking after Our Health section. read more »

Getting support

From HIV+ Gay Sex • 1 July 2002

Many positive men and many of their negative partners have found that talking with others is a great way of getting support. And sex is one of the main issues they talk about.  read more »

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HIV Clinical Trials update

Recently updated entries from the NAPWA Clinical Trials database.