Over the last eighteen months Scott has stopped smoking and cut his drug use. He’s had to find different ways to fill the weekends. Doing that without getting bored was a struggle at first, but Scott has now managed to get into a groove.

Smoking, by itself, does not make HIV infection worse, but smoking has been linked to increased rates of some HIV-related opportunistic infections and HIV-positive people who smoke may be more likely to suffer smoking-related diseases than HIV-negative smokers.

Having overcome discrimination and isolation after being diagnosed with HIV in his native Columbia, moving to Australia with little English and less money, it isn’t surprising that Jorge had the determination to stop smoking by going ‘cold-turkey’. Discovering how gardening helps him stay grounded, he decided to set up a landscaping business.

This ATPA fact sheet explains the current knowledge about cardiovascular (heart) disease risk in people living with HIV/AIDS, and some strategies for minimising risk.

p(standfirst). What are the potential health impacts of smoking in HIV-positive people?

Staying well means more than just popping pills and having blood tests.