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Sharing Your HIV Status
Sharing Your HIV Status

[+] SHARING YOUR HIV STATUS

Telling people you have HIV may help you get support from the people around you. But it’s important to think about whom to share with, when, and how.

96% of people in 1 study said they had told at least 1 person about their HIV-positive status.

Source: Journal of the International
Association of Physicians of AIDS Care, 2012.

Sharing helps. According to the US DHHS, studies show that people who tell family members about being HIV-positive do better with treatment than people who don’t share their status.

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.HIV.gov

It’s very important to share your HIV status with:

  • Anyone you have sex with
  • Your healthcare provider
  • Anyone you’ve ever shared a needle with

LOOK FOR A PEER COUNSELOR

A peer counselor is someone who is HIV-positive and really knows what you’re going through. You can sometimes find them at ASOs or in community groups. Ask your ASO Professional to help you find one.

REMEMBER that people you tell may have different reactions, and it can be hard for them to understand and accept at first. But you’d be surprised at how supportive some people can be.

...

When you have to share

Some states have HIV status disclosure laws that require you to tell certain people about your HIV status. For more information, see the CDC website for Sharing Your Status.

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How to share

It can be very hard to tell someone that you have HIV and that they may have been exposed to the virus. But you don’t have to do it alone. Talk to your caseworker or someone else who works at your ASO so they can help.

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Tell, then teach

It helps to have HIV information available when you tell someone you’re positive—they’ll probably have a lot of questions. You can help them find some answers by taking them through this site, especially the About HIV section, or by downloading this brochure.

YOU’VE GOT RIGHTS

If an employer or coworker knows your status and you feel you’re being
discriminated against, there are steps you can take.

See Workplace Rights at www.hiv.gov

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