In this section we look at how looking after your day to day health can really help you and your body to cope better with HIV and anti-HIV drugs. You’ll find information about the possible effects that smoking, drinking and recreational drugs can have on your health, and on HIV and HIV treatment.
We also look at how a healthy balanced diet, regular exercise and proper sleep can help to keep your immune system as strong as possible. Finally you’ll find information about self-esteem and depression, and what to do if you feel you are experiencing problems with either of these.
When it comes to your health, the balls are very important. In the survey, we asked how often you check your balls for lumps. Only 37% of you said that you regularly check for lumps. 7% said they had only checked once, while 4% said they have never checked their balls for lumps. Read more
When I was diagnosed as HIV-positive I turned to sex as a way to cope with how I was feeling about myself. Read more
There’s no evidence to show that occasional use of recreational drugs will make HIV progress any faster, but there is evidence to show that frequent and heavy use of recreational drugs can impact on the immune system Read more
We all know that smoking is dangerous, and that stopping smoking can improve your health and reduce the risk of smoking-related illnesses whether you’re HIV positive or not. However, smoking can be even more damaging to your health if you have HIV [1]. Read more
A lot of gay men use steroids to increase their muscle mass more effectively when they work out. There’s no evidence to show that steroids lower your immune system or affect HIV progression. However, there are possible serious side-effects of using steroids for anyone whether HIV positive or not. Read more
Having a healthy balanced diet is a good idea for everyone, HIV positive or negative. Read more
Exercise can have great benefits for everyone. It can help you cope with HIV both physically and mentally. Along with good nutrition, regular exercise is a really good way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Read more
Sleep is essential for everyone, both physically and mentally. Without sleep, your body and mind are not able to recover properly from the rigours of the day. Read more
Alcohol is in fact a depressant drug so if you're feeling down it could end up making you feel even worse. Getting really drunk can put you in situations where you have less or no control. Read more