Living+With+HIV

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 * __A Touching Video Where People Speak About What It is Like To Live With HIV__


 * __ Living With HIV __**

"A diagnosis of HIV twenty-five years ago meant that death was just around the corner. Today, an individual receiving that same diagnosis can expect to live a lengthy life -- maybe not the life he or she had envisioned, but life just the same. Thanks to advances in modern medicine and medical care, HIV/AIDS has become a chronic, yet manageable disease. However, it is still an impoverishing one that can literally turn peoples lives upside down. Individuals are faced with the high cost of medicine and doctors visits, not to mention the horrible side effects that often accompany the medication. And one more thing. There is no cure." - a quote from the above video from HIV Alliance

Living With HIV not only can take a physical toll on the body of those infected it can also be extremely emotionally draining as well. Discovering you have been positively diagnosed for HIV means that your life will never be the same however it does not mean that your life is over. The initial shock of positive status discovery can plummet people into depression, however, the reality is that people can live relatively normal lives after being diagnosed. A regime of anti-retroviral treatments is the typical method of treatment for people with HIV. This drugs keep the virus in check so that people can return to their daily lives. These treatments are great for suppressing the HIV virus, but they also come with their fair share of side-affects. These side affects can include nausea, headaches or more serious side affects such as liver damage. Some people as in the above video describe living with HIV and the side affects of their medication to be similar to having a flu 24/7.

Disclosure of status is another thing that many HIV positive people struggle with daily. The fear of being rejected or shunned can easily overshadow the desire to contain the virus and protect people who are close to you. Many people who are living with HIV find the most difficult aspect to cope with to be forming new relationships, especially with intimate partners. Revealing your HIV status might not be the most intimate type of fore-play, yet it is an essential step that must be taken in order to stop the spread of disease which is usually transmitted through unprotected sex or the sharing of needles.

Daily activities can usually be maintained such as work, sports, and other hobbies but it should always be carefully monitored by the person who is infected to make sure there is no accidental contact of bodily fluids between him(her)self and other individuals. Many people who have the virus explain that the best thing one can do upon discovery of a positive status is to have a positive outlook on the situation and be an advocate for the prevention of further infection to people.