In the year 2010 approximately 100 million People will be infected with HIV worldwide. We have to learn to live with it!

 Coming To Terms With HIV

Whatever you are feeling right now, it is important that you know that having HIV does not necessarily mean you are going to get sick or die soon. HIV works slowly in the body. Most people with HIV infection are healthy and fairly free from symptoms for over 5 years. Most people don’t get an AIDS diagnosis for over 10 years. Even after an AIDS diagnosis, with proper treatment people are living more then twice as long as they were in the past.

Dealing with Fear, Anger, Grief and Depression

HIV is a serious infection; it is natural to feel shock, grief, anger, fear and sadness when you first learn that you have HIV. You maybe also afraid of how your lover, friend, family and co-workers will react to finding out that you have HIV.

• HIV is a serious infection; it is natural to feel shock, grief, anger, fear and sadness when you first learn that you have HIV.
• You maybe also afraid of how your lover, friend, family and co-workers will react to finding out that you have HIV.

Telling Others You Are HIV Positive

Deciding whether, when, and how to tell your friends and loved once about being HIV positive can be difficult. You may find yourself caught in a bind: wanting to love and support those close to you, yet fearing their rejection. Though it is bound to be difficult and scary, you will probably find that most of those close to you will love and support you after learning that you are HIV positive.
Be sure to ask those you tell to keep the information private/ Confidential.

Consider the following questions in deciding whom to tell about your HIV infection.

• Is this person likely to be supportive of me?
• How have they dealt with problems I have had in the past?
• What do I hope to get out of telling this person?
• Could telling this person put me at risk of losing my job, children or housing?
• Is this someone with whom I have had sex or shared needles, who may be infected but not know it?
• Will this person cause me physical or emotional harm if I tell them?
• Will the person fell hurt if I don’t tell them, because they would want to help?
• Can I trust this person to keep the information private?
• Will I worry more if I don’t tell this person?
• Does this person need to know so that I can get the best medical care or social services I may need?