What does ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’ mean?
Everyone who’s living with HIV has something called a ‘viral load’. This is the amount of the HIV virus that’s in the body at any specific time. The medication taken…
I know that GHT have drop ins and get togethers, but I don’t really want to go to the actual place, so do you know if they organise similar things but in the Gay Village for example? That would be really useful.
George House Trust has a dedicated service for gay and bisexual men called being+. As part of this service we are able to offer peer mentoring along with life coaching…
I use the online apps – like Scruff and Grindr – and am upfront about my HIV+ status. Sometimes I get some real nasty comments saying that I’m ‘unclean’ etc and that I shouldn’t be online as I’m spreading the virus. I’m not letting this stop me, but any advice on what I can say back to them, other than being rude!?
Remember that you’re the person who has taken responsibility for knowing your HIV status. You’re the person who has made the decision to be upfront about the fact that you’re…
I had sex with a guy who’s HIV positive (I’m negative) and we were safe using condoms etc. Afterwards I felt nervous and thought I should go to the hospital for PEP but the guy said I wouldn’t need it as we were safe and he was on meds and had an undetectable viral load. I still feel anxious though – should I have gone to the hospital?
The important thing to understand is what the term ‘undetectable viral load’ actually means. Viral load refers to the amount of the virus present in a sample of blood. HIV…
How often should I take a HIV test?
You should have a test if you think you have exposed yourself to the risk of contracting HIV – for example unprotected sex with someone who is HIV positive or…
My best friend has just told me that he’s been diagnosed with HIV. I don’t know what to say to him or what to do. Can you help?
The first thing to think about is the fact that your friend has told you about his HIV diagnosis for a reason – he wants you to know. It may…
I recently had sex with guy who is HIV positive and he told me that he couldn’t pass HIV on to me because he’s ‘undetectable’. What does he mean and is it true that I can’t get HIV from him?
If someone who is living with HIV is taking medication regularly, then the amount of the virus in their system (called the ‘viral load’) will eventually become undetectable. This doesn’t…
I have just been diagnosed as HIV positive and I’m not sure what to do next.
Please be reassured that there are lots of people ready to help you in so many ways. You are definitely not alone. We recommend that you have a look at…
Could you let me know where the best place to go for an HIV test is, please?
If you need to get yourself tested then there are quite a few places you can go to in confidence. The first port of call should be your own GP,…
I’ve been diagnosed HIV+ but my consultant says I don’t need to have HIV  medication at the moment. Why is this? Surely it would be better to start medication straight away.
The decision about when to start treatment should involve, first of all, an honest discussion with your consultant about why you want to start. Remember that once you start treatment, you will…
Recently I have heard more about PrEP and PEP but I’m really confused about  what does what – can you advise?
PrEP stands for ‘pre-exposure prophylaxis’. Put simply this means someone taking a HIV drug called Truvada to prevent them from becoming HIV positive. The research that’s been done into this…
When do you think I should tell my family that I’m HIV positive?  I’m worried  what they might say if I tell them.
The first thing you need to think about is why you want to tell your familythatyou’re HIV positive. Is it because you think you have to or because of the…