Peer Support

A peer is another word for a person who may have been through similar experiences to you and found themselves in similar situations to your own.

Many people find that ‘peer support’ with another positive person is a real help in coping with HIV. Peer support can be informal and happen amongst friends or organised more formally. It can be part of a clinic or of the work of a support charity close to you .

People have found peer support helpful for the following reasons:

Telling another positive person might be the first time you’ve met someone in a similar situation
You’re able to share your experience with an equal in a way that values their friendship
You will understand you’re not the only one with HIV
Find others who can be a role model in some aspect of their life, like taking treatment or work
You can learn self-confidence and self-awareness
You can have social time without having to worry about who knows if you’re HIV positive

Not everyone with HIV needs formal support of this kind, and many people prefer not to be part of a group. Individual peer support is also available. Many people move on from peer support or prefer to be part of mainstream social life. All of these choices are fine. The main thing is that if you become part of a group, it’s because you want to be. And if you feel it’s served its purpose for you, and you want to stop attending, then you can do so without pressure.

HIV news from aidsmap.com

Experts publish recommendations on managing low-level but detectable HIV
An international panel of scientists reviewed the evidence to construct a framework of recommendations on the management of low-level but detectable HIV. The guidance, published in The Lancet HIV by Dr Tommaso Clemente and colleagues, brings together evidence from a scoping review and expert judgement in order to create a shared point of reference for clinicians.
>> Read more

From ‘life span’ to ‘health span’ – new guidelines for ageing with HIV in South Africa
New clinical guidelines for the care of older people with HIV shift the focus from viral suppression to overall health. As the world’s population of people over 50 years old living with HIV grows, it becomes increasingly important to understand how HIV and geriatric medicine interact.
>> Read more

Modelling study backs targeted, not universal, lenacapavir PrEP for pregnancy and breastfeeding
Targeted deployment of twice-yearly lenacapavir for pregnant and breastfeeding women without HIV in high-incidence districts in sub-Saharan Africa could substantially reduce vertical transmission at a fraction of the cost of universal rollout, according to a modelling study published in the Journal of the International AIDS Society. But the authors say lenacapavir should be seen as complementary to, not a substitute for, strengthening existing programmes to prevent vertical transmission.
>> Read more

Contact emma@positiveboltonpeople.org.uk for further information.

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