Daily living now for many people with HIV includes interactions between growing older, living longer and being on treatments longer.

As you get older, it’s important to have a good rapport with your GP, because you need to be able to sit down and discuss things like treatment options and other health conditions. Also talking to your GP, HIV specialist or a counsellor can help you to prioritise what is important for you to maintain quality of life.

Ross: I have two doctors – one does HIV and general and the other just does HIV. With both of them I can sit down and tell them what I want out of my treatment. I want minimum number of pills. I don’t want to end up with kidney problems or any other side-effects. Both of them will say: “This is a list of options. These are the pros and these are the cons. What do you want to do?” I think a lot of guys have problems because they don’t have doctors they can sit down with and discuss treatments that suit their lifestyles.

Many of us are now living with more than one health condition (e.g. diabetes, heart disease) in addition to HIV. Being an expert on HIV doesn’t necessarily mean that you know everything there is to know about your health.

• As you grow older with HIV, there are a number of health issues we should monitor, including heart, blood sugar levels, skin cancer and blood pressure. Keep up to date about your health so you can make informed decisions about new treatments or side-effects.

• A healthy diet, regular exercise and stopping smoking can help us maintain good health.