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Experiences of health care :
Getting a diagnosis
Getting health and social care
Making decisions about treatment
Taking anti-HIV drugs
Challenges of anti-HIV drugs
Looking after yourself :
Coping with mental health problems
Dealing with your thoughts
Talking about it
Becoming informed
Gaining power and strength
Spirituality and religion
Holistic health
Disclosure, discrimination and other challenges :
Secrecy and telling people
Support groups
Dealing with difficulties, finances and benefits
Work and routine
Prejudice, stigma and discrimination
Telling children and parents
Negotiating Sex :
How people became infected
Casual sexual encounters
Sex in relationships
Telling sexual partners
Looking ahead :
Living now & in the future
Illness and death
Finally, what people with HIV want you to know
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HIV
Subject index
Clip
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 03
>>
Living with a life threatening illness helped him to focus 'on the present' and what he needed to have a better quality of life.
Has slowly built up his strength since his illness, becoming highly expert in HIV. He did extensive self-development work on himself. He has 870 CD4 cells and currently takes nevirapine, abacavir, and lamivudine with minimal side effects.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 46-55
>>
Interview 38
>>
People need to live life in the present, but responsibly.
Although he has developed a lot of resistance to anti-HIV drugs, he is currently doing well on T20, TMC114 (as part of a trial), FTC, tenofovir and abacavir, and has an undetectable viral load.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 13
>>
Talks about how he has had to struggle and fight in life.
He currently takes 4 antivirals (AZT, atazanavir, ritonavir, tenofovir) after suffering severe side effects from other combinations. His viral load was low and he attributes his good health to taking responsibility for his own wellbeing.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 39
>>
Talks about how he chose to integrate into UK society and gather support for his immigration application. (Read by an actor.)
He was admitted to hospital very ill and was diagnosed with HIV. He was put on Septrin because of his low T cell count. He gained social work assistance in hospital, and is hopeful about his immigration application. (Video and audio clips read by an actor.)
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 46-55
>>
Interview 38
>>
Talks about how people need to live life in the present, but responsibly.
Although he has developed a lot of resistance to anti-HIV drugs, he is currently doing well on T20, TMC114 (as part of a trial), FTC, tenofovir and abacavir, and has an undetectable viral load.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 20
>>
He loves his work but thinks that some people with a HIV diagnosis opt out of work or become angry. (Read by an actor.)
He started treatment soon after diagnosis (efavirenz and Combavir) and his viral load quickly became undetectable and he had few side effects. He resists blaming his life problems on HIV. (Video and audio clips read by an actor.)
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 12
>>
Argues that prosecutions of people for HIV transmission stigmatises him as a potential criminal.
He suffered from severe diarrhoea and peripheral neuropathy while taking an earlier combination of anti-HIV drugs, but he currently takes nelfinavir, 3TC and abacavir with few side effects. He has had to cope with HIV-related illness, depression and mania at various times in his life.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 35
>>
He believed that a partner was responsible for his HIV infection. (Read by an actor.)
He turned up in the health system with TB in the mid-1990s, and was tested for HIV. He has an undetectable viral load and 400 CD4 cells. He accesses African support groups and the Internet for support. (Video and audio clips read by an actor.)
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 31-35
>>
Interview 14
>>
It was difficult to convince his HIV negative partner that he should use condoms for anal sex.
He believes dealing with multiple difficulties in his life like HIV has made him stronger. He takes Fosamprenavir, Ritonavir, Tenofovir and Emtricitabine (6 tablets once in the evening) with few side effects.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 56-65
>>
Interview 25
>>
His thoughts on disclosure of HIV status in casual sex are shifting.
He currently takes didanosine, ritonavir, lamivudine and saquinavir for HIV. He has suffered from non-painful peripheral neuropathy and some lipodystrophy. With treatment, he now looks forward to a long retirement.
Chronic health issues
>>
HIV
>>
Aged 36-40
>>
Interview 03
>>
Living with a life threatening illness helped him to focus 'on the present' and what he needed to have a better quality of life.
Has slowly built up his strength since his illness, becoming highly expert in HIV. He did extensive self-development work on himself. He has 870 CD4 cells and currently takes nevirapine, abacavir, and lamivudine with minimal side effects.
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