Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
LGBT HERO - For health. For Rights. For Happier Lives.
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • BlueSky
Get helpDonate
  • Twitter
Menu
  • Health & Life
    • Mental health
      • Depression & Anxiety
      • Self-Care
      • Self-harm
      • Body Image & Eating Disorders
      • General wellbeing
      • LGBTQ+ peer-support and counselling
    • Suicide
    • Sex & sexual health
      • Sexual Wellbeing
      • Trans sexual health
      • HIV
      • Mpox (monkeypox)
      • STIs
      • Sex
    • Alcohol and Drugs
    • Smoking
    • Relationships
    • Gender Identity
    • Sexuality
  • Rights
    • Your rights
    • Abuse and Hate Crime
    • Voting Rights
  • Support and Social Groups
    • Online support and social groups
    • Forty & Beyond | GBT Mens Group
    • HangOuts | Online support Groups
      • What are HangOuts?
      • HangOuts Group Agreement
      • Walking HangOuts | Walking with Pride in South West London
      • LGBTQ+ HangOuts
      • Trans+ HangOuts
      • South Asian HangOuts
      • 50+ HangOuts
    • Forums
    • FindOut
    • Find Help and Support
    • Support Directories
      • HIV and Sexual Health Directory
      • Mental Health and Wellbeing Directory
      • Suicide Prevention Directory
      • Sexual assault and consent | Support directory
      • Trans Directory
    • LGBTQ+ Awareness Training
    • The Trans+ Sexual Wellbeing Workshops
  • Community
    • Get involved
      • Donate
      • Volunteer for us! | Upcoming volunteering opportunities
      • Support an appeal
      • What can I do?
    • Events
      • RVT Sports Day
  • Magazine
    • News & Features
    • True Life & Opinions
    • FS Magazine
    • Media
  • Campaigns and Hubs
    • The LGBTQ+ voting hub
    • Trans+ Sexual Wellbeing
    • Sexual assault and consent
    • Lambeth Allies Programme
    • Can we HELP?
    • Don't Lose Your Voice - LGBTQ+ Democracy Hub
    • South Asian sexual health and wellbeing
    • Hate crime - help and support
    • LGBTQ+ Support in Lambeth
    • Legacy campaigns
      • LGBT HERO Future Leaders
      • Project Happy
      • Me. Him. Us.
  • Shop
    • Visit Shop
    • 100% ME | Pride Collection
  • About
    • About LGBT HERO
    • Meet the LGBT HERO team
    • GMFA
    • Work for us
    • Board Members
    • Annual reports
    • Policies
  • Admin
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Living with HIV
  1. Home
  2. Living with HIV

Living with HIV

Everything you need to know about living with HIV, including medical advice, help with sex and relationships, and mental health.

Filter by Category:
HOME  | HOW HIV WORKS  | HIV AND YOUR HEALTH  |  NEWLY DIAGNOSED  |  DOCTORS AND CLINICS  |  POSITIVE SEX  | 
LOOKING AFTER YOURSELF  |  DISCLOSING YOUR STATUS  |  HIV STIGMA  |  MENTAL HEALTH AND HIV  |  HELP AND SUPPORT

Key articles:
Watch the 'Living With HIV' video

Watch the 'Living With HIV' video

Here is the the video for our new campaign tackling HIV stigma - Living With HIV Read more

Published: 4th August, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Living With HIV: Talking undetectable

Living With HIV: Talking undetectable

Do you know what viral load is? Do you know what 'HIV-undetectable' means? Read more

Published: 4th August, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

How I made peace with my HIV status

How I made peace with my HIV status

I was asked to talk about my first time having sex after I was diagnosed and what that was like for me. I thought about it and what got me the most was that I couldn’t really remember. Read more

Published: 2nd August, 2021

Updated: 5th December, 2022

Author: Anonymised User

We can finally say it’s not all about condoms

We can finally say it’s not all about condoms

New data released by Public Health England showed that HIV diagnoses across the country had fallen by 18%. Confined to just gay and bisexual men, the drop was 21%; narrow it even further to just gay and bisexual men in London and it was 29%. Read more

Published: 30th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

I’ve found out I’m HIV-positive. What do I do now?

I’ve found out I’m HIV-positive. What do I do now?

I have been living with HIV for more than ten years  and you might say I am a bit of an HIV old-timer. Read more

Published: 30th July, 2021

Updated: 2nd December, 2024

Author: Anonymised User

Look back and learn. Look forward and hope.

Look back and learn. Look forward and hope.

A year ago I sat in a meeting with officials from Public Health England as they announced that someone with HIV, with prompt access to treatment, had the same life expectancy as someone who was uninfected. Read more

Published: 29th July, 2021

Updated: 5th December, 2022

Author: Anonymised User

How will Brexit impact people living with HIV?

How will Brexit impact people living with HIV?

The Brexit question has opened questions for people living with HIV, perhaps the most important questions are yet to be answered. Read more

Published: 29th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Safer breathing: how safe is 'safe'?

Safer breathing: how safe is 'safe'?

How safe is safe enough? Read more

Published: 28th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

An interview with Dr Michael Brady

An interview with Dr Michael Brady

The doctor divides his working week across his three roles: HIV Consultant, Medical Director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, and National LGBT Advisor at NHS England. Read more

Published: 28th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Living with HIV and safer sex

Living with HIV and safer sex

Just because someone is diagnosed as HIV-positive, it doesn’t mean they stop taking care of their sexual health. Read more

Published: 28th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

What does HIV look like?

What does HIV look like?

How was your COVID lockdown? I managed to reach the end of mine without baking bread, shaving my hair or posting a nude. Go me! Read more

Published: 28th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Living with HIV in the time of COVID

Living with HIV in the time of COVID

We spoke with 8 gay and bi men living with HIV about their year, how they coped with lockdowns and navigated the global pandemic... Read more

Published: 28th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Self-esteem and HIV

Self-esteem and HIV

Self-esteem (or self-worth) is basically the opinion you have about yourself. It is about how valuable you think you are, and whether you feel you have a purpose. It is also about being confident, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and being able to be self-critical without feeling de-valued. Read more

Published: 15th July, 2021

Updated: 5th December, 2022

Author: Anonymised User

Living with HIV and depression

Living with HIV and depression

It’s not uncommon for gay and bisexual men to experience mental health issues. In fact one-in-three of us will face some sort of mental health issue. Read more

Published: 15th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

What if I am newly diagnosed?

What if I am newly diagnosed?

Being told you have HIV can at first seem like it’s too much to deal with, but it’s not. Read more

Published: 14th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

HIV-related symptoms

HIV-related symptoms

When you have HIV, your body is in a constant fight against the virus and so you may have some symptoms similar to those you get when your body fights any other virus. Read more

Published: 14th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

What HIV does

What HIV does

When HIV gets into your blood stream, the virus attaches to and then enters specific white blood cells in your body known as CD4 cells Read more

Published: 14th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

The A to C of Hepatitis

The A to C of Hepatitis

What’s the difference between hepatitis A, B and C? How can they affect you? And how can you treat them? Read more

Published: 8th June, 2021

Updated: 29th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

How has PrEP affected people living with HIV?

How has PrEP affected people living with HIV?

PrEP has made a huge impact on the gay community – something the survey proves. From reducing fear around HIV to people having more honest conversations about their status, PrEP is altering gay men’s sex and personal lives. But how has this impacted the people already living with HIV? Read more

Published: 8th June, 2021

Updated: 29th July, 2021

Author: Anonymised User

Living with HIV and feeling suicidal

Living with HIV and feeling suicidal

Recent statistics show that gay men living with HIV are twice as likely to die by suicide than HIV-negative men. Read more

Published: 15th July, 2015

Updated: 2nd August, 2023

Author: Anonymised User

Back to top

Latest

  • Pride Month 2026 | Top LGBTQ+ books

    Pride Month 2026 | Top LGBTQ+ books

    For Pride Month 2026, we wanted to share our top LGBTQ+ reads, that empower, champion and tell LGBTQ+ stories

  • Celebrating being trans this pride season | Thur 25th June, 2026 | 11am

    Celebrating being trans this pride season | Thur 25th June, 2026 | 11am

    This Pride season join us to celebrate being trans.

  • Navigating burnout during Pride season  | Thur 11th June, 2026 | 11am

    Navigating burnout during Pride season | Thur 11th June, 2026 | 11am

    Pride season can bring celebration, visibility, and connection... but it can also be exhausting.

  • Ageing gracefully | Tue 23rd June, 2026 | 6pm

    Ageing gracefully | Tue 23rd June, 2026 | 6pm

    How we feel about ageing? What are we looking forward to? What are we not looking forward to?

Most read

  • Being non-binary

    Being non-binary

    What does it mean to be non-binary?

  • HIV Advice for Gay Men: Prevention, Testing, and Living with HIV

    HIV Advice for Gay Men: Prevention, Testing, and Living with HIV

    Get comprehensive HIV advice for gay men. Learn about prevention, testing, treatment options, and find support. Stay informed and take control of your health

  • Mpox (monkeypox) and what you need to know

    Mpox (monkeypox) and what you need to know

    What is mpox (monkeypox)? What are the symptoms? Can I get the vaccine? Your questions answered.

  • Transgender: Back to Basics

    Transgender: Back to Basics

    Let's get back to basics. Want to know the difference between gender identity and gender expression? Get confused between sex and gender? This page is for you!

  • "The Gay Community is Racist"

    The question is: are we really that shocked to learn that Britain’s gay scene is so racist?

  • Safe Sex and STIs - a guide for lesbians

    Safe Sex and STIs - a guide for lesbians

    Think lesbians aren't at risk of STIs? Think again.

  • How risky is having sex without condoms?

    How risky is having sex without condoms?

    Most gay and bisexual men who have HIV caught it from having penetrative sex without a condom.

  • What are romantic orientations?

    What are romantic orientations?

    Our crash course on romantic orientations.

  • What is Asexuality?

    What is Asexuality?

    Understanding asexuality and dispelling the myths and misconceptions about it.

  • A modern guy's guide to cruising

    A modern guy's guide to cruising

    Perhaps surprisingly, the proud tradition of cruising is still going strong. Wherever you are in the UK, you’re not going to be too far from a spot where you’ll easily find other men who want to hook up with men. There are plenty of apps and websites dedicated to helping you out if you want to have sex in a public place.

Tag cloud

coming out condoms depression Gareth Johnson Gay sex advice hiv HIV news Ian Howley lgbt mental health sexual health sexuality stis Stuart Haggas suicide Vish

Join our community

Become a part of our inclusive community and keep up to date with all our latest news, advice and events

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])

Contact us

LGBT HERO
Unit 65B, 
The Link
49 Effra Road
Brixton
London
SW2 1BZ

[email protected]

Helpful links

  • Contact us
  • Full sitemap
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Manager

Follow us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • BlueSky

LGBT HERO is the national health and wellbeing charity for LGBTQ+ people supporting over 100,000 people a month.
LGBT HERO is the trading name of the Health Equality and Rights Organisation.
Charity Number: 1076854. Company limited by guarantee: 2702133. ©2025 LGBT HERO

No assumptions should be made about the sexuality, gender identity, health status or views of individuals or organisations featured on this website. All articles, features and opinion pieces on the site may not reflect the views of LGBT HERO.

Manage Cookie Preferences