I Have HIV-What Now
Remember that it is not the end of the world. Researchers have developed medicines that can really help your quality of life while living with HIV. I have listed some tips to help you cope with the news.
1) First, you must treat yourself like a god or goddess. This encompasses a lot of things and I put it first because I am convinced that it is the most important thing you can do for yourself.
Gods and goddesses eat right. They eat well-balanced meals, they take vitamins, and they rely on friends and family to give them support and hugs whenever they need it. You should understand that your existence in the universe is very important, and you must take on survival as your number one mission in life.
Gods and goddesses do not beat themselves up over having HIV / AIDS, but they are instead looking for ways to make living with HIV fun, comfortable, and safe. I will allow for a few days of self-pity. But after that you have to snap out of it.
2) Find a doctor that specializes in HIV/AIDS treatment. After you have recovered from a few days of self-pity, pull yourself together and begin to search for a specialist in your area. You may begin this search through your family physician, but ultimately you must find a specialist because studies show that people treated by HIV specialists live longer.
3) Remember that it is you against HIV. It is important to remember that this is your illness and your body. Your doctor can help you with treatment, but it is ultimately on you to learn about your illness and to take charge of your own illness. Keep up to date on new therapies and holistic options- and never be afraid to ask your doctor questions . . .if you do not like how he or she answers them, it is also OK to fire them and get a doctor that you are comfortable with. You must be assertive.
4) Research your illness. Ask as many questions and read as much literature as possible on HIV / AIDS. New research is being developed each day; so do not trust anything that is more than three months old.
5) Take HIV/AIDS seriously. Take your medicines as indicated. You should make it a point not to miss any doses of medicine. Drugs may fail if you do not take them like you are supposed to. Know that you can infect your sexual partners and in most states you can be convicted of attempted murder if you knowingly have unprotected sex with someone. Find out how to engage in relatively safe sexual activity
6) Always, always, always practice SAFER SEX.
7) Be careful who you tell. Society has a lot of negative attitudes towards people with HIV. Before you run out and tell everyone, make sure you know who you can trust.
8) You have to tell your sex partners! If you cannot bring yourself to tell them, suggest that they go see the doctor and get tested for all the STDs, HIV in particular.
A great place to learn about the resources available to you is the website TheBody.
Please remember that you are not alone. Millions of people are infected with HIV, so start reading, and let the battle begin!!!!
