Just Diagnosed

Positive Life has a number of peer navigators living with HIV, to answer your questions and ensure you have up-to-date information to navigate your HIV journey. We also offer a number of social support groups (online and face-to-face), for women, for gay men, for heterosexual men and women, while other groups welcome partners, family or friends in a safe, comfortable space. Call (02) 9206 2177 or 1800 245 677 (freecall outside metro areas) or email contact@positivelife.org.au

If you’ve been diagnosed with HIV, this means that you were exposed to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and a blood test has shown the presence of HIV antibodies in your blood.

While your body won’t be able to get rid of HIV completely, the good news is that today the treatment for HIV is extremely effective, and you can expect to live a long, full and healthy life like anyone else without HIV.

People living with HIV who are on medication, called antiretroviral treatment (ART), can reduce HIV to the point of being ‘undetectable’ in your blood. This reduces the risk that HIV can pose to your immune system and also means HIV transmission (or passing HIV to someone else) is zero.

Today, with ART medication, people living with HIV can live long healthy lives with a normal life expectancy of other people without HIV. For some people, ART medication is one small tablet taken at roughly the same time once a day. Side effects of today’s ART medications are usually mild. Some people might take a few days or weeks for their body to adjust. If there are any ongoing side effects, these can be discussed with your HIV specialist doctor.

When you’re newly diagnosed, normally you’ll see your HIV specialist doctor (also called a ‘s100 provider’ or ‘s100 prescriber’) once every month. This includes regular blood tests to find out how much the HIV virus is replicating (reproducing) in your blood (HIV viral load).

Once the HIV virus is undetectable, this means your HIV viral load is down below 200 copies per millilitre of blood for at least six months and you continue to take your medications as prescribed by your doctor (also called ‘adherence’), there is no risk of passing on HIV to your sexual partner/s. Around this time normally you will see your HIV specialist doctor once every 3-4 months.

One of the main things to remember, is even though you’re living with HIV, you’re not alone. Besides your doctors or healthcare team, connecting up with other people who are living with HIV (also called ‘peers’) can make a big difference.

Other people living with HIV can understand what you’re feeling, and can support you to live a full, active and healthy life. Most of the staff at Positive Life are living with HIV themselves and you’ll be able to talk, share and find out how other people live with HIV.

If you want to talk to someone or want some support to figure things out, there are a number of confidential support services available.

Positive Life NSW

You can speak to our Peer Support Officers (another person living with HIV).

Call (02) 9206 2177 or 1800 245 677 (freecall outside metro areas) or
Email contact@positivelife.org.au
HIV 101 Factsheet

We also run a number of social support groups, some for women, others for gay men, groups for heterosexual men and women, while other groups welcome partners, family or friends in a safe, comfortable space.

Newly diagnosed gay men living with HIV

Several times a year Positive Life co-hosts a workshop held over a weekend for newly diagnosed gay men living with HIV called a[STARTx] (previously called ‘Genesis’) in partnership with ACON.

Other Services

Find an s100 HIV prescriber in NSW – regularly updated searchable database

Medical Services

Albion Street Centre
Counselling, care and support for all people living with HIV
Tel: (02) 9332 9600
Website: thealbioncentre.org.au/clinical-services/psychology/

Pozhet
Heterosexual clinical service
Tel: 1800 812 404
Website: www.pozhet.org.au

General Support Services

Beyondblue
Information and advice around anxiety, depression and suicide prevention.
Tel: 1300 22 4636 (24/7) TTY: 133 677
Online: online.beyondblue.org.au (3pm to 12midnight AEST)
Website: www.beyondblue.org.au

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7)
Crisis support.
Online: www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat (7pm to 12midnight AEST)
Text: www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-text (12pm to 12midnight AEST)
www.lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 (24/7)
Website: www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au