Support is available when you’re ready

Your care team. Finding a good GP is important. This means a GP who you can trust and who’s knowledgeagble—or willing to learn—about HIV. You don’t have to stay with the GP who diagnosed you. If you don’t know one, an HIV organisation can recommend one or provide a list of options. Your GP may support you in a shared care arrangement with an HIV specialist, who may be another GP who has done specialised training or a specialist physician.

Connecting with supports. An HIV organisation in your state or territory can provide you with a list of services available for people with HIV. When you are newly diagnosed, there can be a lot of information to take in. An HIV Peer Navigator (sometimes known as a peer support worker) can help you work out what services might be relevant to your needs, and support you to access them.

Social connections. When you feel ready, there are social groups and communities for people with HIV. Being in touch with other people can help making things that right now feel shocking or unbearable seem more ordinary and manageable. Connecting with a community of diverse people with similar and different experiences can help your sense of wellbeing, as well as giving you access to information and support.

Support for negative partners. In the terminology of the HIV community, relationships which have positive and negative partners are called ‘serodiscordant’ or ‘magnetic.’ There are resources available that can provide information for HIV-negative partners on what your diagnosis means, what supports are available for them, and how they can best support you.