What to expect

Being diagnosed HIV positive will be one of the most significant events in your life. It is difficult to predict how you will feel when you are first diagnosed as everyone is different. However, common feelings experienced by many people include feeling numb, frightened, upset, tearful, desperate or angry. Some people may also feel relieved that they have finally found out.

Different people have different ways of dealing with these feelings. Some carry on as if nothing has happened, some look for lots of information, and some prefer to keep their thoughts to themselves.

However you are feeling, being diagnosed HIV-positive puts you in a position where you can start taking steps towards looking after your health. Although there is still no cure for HIV and it can still be fatal, improvements in treatment mean that people diagnosed early can now look forward to a living a normal length of time provided they look after their health and adhere to their treatment.

The fact that you have HIV may be the only information you are able to absorb on the day of your diagnosis. You should have had post-test counselling after you received your test result but don’t worry if you didn’t understand everything you were told. A lot of professional support is now available to you, including a specialist HIV doctor and nurse at the Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) Department at the General Hospital, and practical and emotional support from an ACET HIV Support Worker. You may also find that counselling helps you work out your reactions to having HIV.

You might find the following two helplines particularly useful at this time. Both are located outside Jersey and can provide basic information on HIV. They are staffed by trained counsellors who will help you talk through some of your feelings:

THT direct on 0845 122 1200
National Sexual Health Helpline on 0800 567 123

Local help and information is available from:

ACET Jersey on 01534 505957, Monday –Friday 9am – 5pm.

Last updated June 2011