Supportive resources for people living with HIV
On this page
- Bones
- Cholesterol and cardiovascular disease
- Clinical questionnaires
- Diabetes
- Diet
- Exercise, joints and weight management
- HIV information
- Menopause
- Mental health
- Sexual health/contraception
- Smoking/drugs/alcohol
- Vaccines
- Peer support
- Community support
Bones
Cholesterol and cardiovascular disease
- British Heart Foundation
- Heart UK
- Cholesterol lowering plan (Heart UK)
- Rapid Guidance on the Use of Statins (BHIVA)
- Pitavastatin to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease in HIV Infection (NEJM)
Clinical questionnaires
- Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX)
- Fast alcohol use screening test (gov.uk)
- QRISK Heart Attack and Stroke Calculator
- Menopause rating scale ZEG Berlin GmbH)
- PHQ-9 Depression Test Questionnaire (Patient)
- GAD7 Anxiety Test Questionnaire (Patient)
Diabetes
Diet
Exercise, joints and weight management
On demand access to exercise classes
- Joint and muscle pain exercises (CSP)
- Virtual Connections (CW+)
- Kobler Rehabilitation Class (CW)
- Kobler Rehabilitation Classes Online (CW+)
- HIV Positive Health (Central YMCA Club)—needs referral by your clinician
HIV information
- Guidelines on antiretroviral treatment for adults living with HIV 1 (BHIVA)
- HIV i-Base
- aidsmap
- HIV drug interactions
- Long acting injectable treatment (BHIVA)
Menopause
Mental health
Sexual health/contraception
- Sexual Health London (SHL)—free STI testing and reproductive health
- Croydon Sexual Health—order a home STI test kit (for Croydon residents)
- Greenwich Sexual Health—order a home STI test kits (for Greenwich residents)
- Sexual Health UK (SH)—free STI testing and reproductive health
- Sexual Health 24 (SH24)—free STI testing and reproductive health
Smoking/drugs/alcohol
- Find your local stop smoking service (NHS)
- Chem sex (Dean Street)
- Antidote: Drugs and Alcohol Support (London Friend)
Vaccines
- Vaccination guidance for HIV patients (BHIVA)
- Rapid guidance on mpox (formerly monkeypox) virus (BHIVA)
- Measles and HIV (BHIVA)
- Shingles and HIV (BHIVA)
Peer support
Having the opportunity to talk to someone else living with HIV can be very helpful. Peer support is when people share their own experiences and knowledge to support each other and improve wellbeing. This approach complements the support and care provided by your clinic team by offering a safe space for open discussions to reduce feelings of isolation and increase a person's confidence. Through this service, you can also obtain advice and support around benefits, issues around disclosing your status, adjusting to a new HIV diagnosis, external services that offer housing and immigration support, managing your HIV care, difficulties living with HIV in the workplace etc.
Community support
- Sophia Forum—research, policy and advocacy organisation with participatory involvement
- African Health Policy Network (AHPN)
- Aidsmap—independent, accurate and accessible information about HIV
- HIV i-Base—HIV treatment information and advocacy
- Body and Soul—comprehensive, community-based and trauma informed approach to address life-threatening effects of childhood adversity in people of all ages
- National AIDS Trust (NAT)—HIV rights charity
- NAZ—addressing sexual health inequalities in Black, Brown and Global Majority communities
- Positive East—holistic range of HIV support and prevention services
- Positively UK—peer-led support, advocacy and information to empower individuals living with HIV
- Terrence Higgins Trust (THT)
- UK-CAB—HIV treatment advocates network