Positive Living With HIV & AIDS
By Dennis Sifris, MD and James Myhre, About.com Guide
Moving Forward
Decades ago, an HIV diagnosis meant your life would be put on hold as you waited for the inevitable. Today nothing could be further from the truth. Like any other chronic disease, people diagnosed with HIV have to learn how to incorporate their illness into their everyday life. Granted, that is easier said than done. But with our help, you will soon be able to move forward after your diagnosis. These resources will help.
- HIV Positive Day 1 - Now What?
- Taking Life One Day At A Time
- HIV Advocates
- The Role Of Religion & Spirit
- Re-entering The Workforce
- Finding the Right HIV Doctor for You
- Getting the Most from Your Doctor's Appointment
- Why Should You See an HIV Specialist
- How to Tell Someone You are HIV Positive
- Insurance and Housing
Safer Sex
Despite what you may have heard, safer sex, even among HIV-positive couples, is very important. Obviously, using safer sex techniques with each oral, vaginal, or anal sexual encounter will slow the spread of HIV. These safer sex resources offer you options that will keep you and your partner safe and healthy.
- Safer Sex Tips
- Condom Buying Guide
- All You Need To Know About Condoms
- Why Safer Sex is Essential - Even in Positive Couples
- STD Prevention
- Safer Sex FAQ
- Safer Sex for Teens - How to Say "No"
- Making Love Without Sex
- Safer Sex When Romance Blooms
- "I'm Positive - Why Should I Worry About Safer Sex?"
Women / Seniors / Children / Teens
HIV and AIDS impacts everyone. But for some populations, the issues faced by those living with HIV are different. For women, issues such as pregnancy and breastfeeding with HIV are complex. For seniors over 50, prevention, education and HIV diagnosis offer special challenges. For children and teens, HIV is in some ways not well understood. In short, some populations have unique issues with HIV. Here are some resources provided for those populations.
- Issues Faced By Women
- Ten Informative Features Just For Women
- HIV Resources For Women
- Using a Female Condom
- Understanding PAP Exams
- HIV Resources for Teens and Children
- HIV and the Over 50 Crowd
- How to Tell Your Kids You Have HIV
- How Does HIV Impact Teens
- Talking to Your Children About HIV
Developing Healthy Habits
Like with any chronic disease or illness, the key to staying healthy as possible for as long as possible is developing healthy habits. HIV and AIDS is no different. With the advent of HIV medications and medications to prevent opportunistic infections, people with HIV are staying healthy. But it takes hard work in the form of healthy habits and choices, regular doctor's visits, and taking your medications each and everyday. There is so much involved in staying healthy. These resources will help you get started.
- Staying Healthy - Index
- Staying out of the Hospital
- Staying Healthy Means Finding a Good Doctor
- An HIV Specialist Is the Best Way to Manage Your HIV
- Get the Most From Your Doctors Visit
- Vaccines & Health Screenings
- Immunization Guidelines For HIV+ Adults
- Keeping Your Teeth Healthy
- HIV and Your Oral Health
- The Importance of Dental Care
- Great Minds of HIV
- Ten Tips on How to Stay Healthy
- Food for Thought - The Road to Better Nutrition
- Will an Anal Pap Help You?
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding your disease is the key to a long and healthy life. But the road to understanding will not be an easy one. HIV/AIDS is a complex disease and rest assured, you will have questions. But you are not alone. Others who are on the path to understanding have questions just like you. We have assembled those frequently asked questions here with easy-to-understand answers.
- How is HIV Spread from Person to Person?
- What Do The Statistics Say About the Epidemic?
- HIV FAQ - The Basics
- HIV FAQ - HIV Transmission
- HIV FAQ - Treatment Questions
- HIV FAQ - Questions of Adherence
- HIV FAQ - Treatment and Prevention Questions
- HIV FAQ - Staying Healthy
- "Do I Need an Anal Pap?"
- "How Do I Perform a Testicular Exam?"
HIV Around the World
HIV impacts different parts of the world in different ways. While one country may have a handle on HIV education, another country may be struggling a great deal. Different risks apply to different parts of the world. The only way we can control the HIV epidemic is to understand the differences and take steps to address those differences. These resources give you a look at HIV around the world and at how the epidemic is unique from place to place.
