Living with HIV now is a very different experience to what it was ten or twenty years ago. And living with HIV in the UK is quite different to living with HIV in some other parts of the world.

HIV treatment has brought a longer, healthier life to tens of thousands of people. The UK’s medical services for people with HIV are among the best in the world.

For many people, HIV treatment has also significantly reduced the fear of HIV transmission. Scientists are now confident that when people living with HIV are taking treatment and have an undetectable viral load, they do not pass on HIV to their sexual partners. Knowing this has had a profound impact on many people’s experience of living with HIV.

“Knowing that I was undetectable and that I couldn’t pass it on to anyone else put my mental state in a really good place, it meant that sex was no longer a minefield.”

While public understanding of the impact of HIV treatment on infectiousness is still limited, there has been a general improvement in public attitudes in recent years.  In most social groups, it is no longer considered acceptable to display prejudice against people because of their disability, ethnicity, gender or sexuality.

There have been legal changes too. Since 2005, it has been illegal to discriminate against people living with HIV, in areas like health care and employment. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because of their race, sexuality or gender.

People living with HIV are living full and productive lives and there are very few things that you can’t do just because of an HIV diagnosis. Many people who are living with HIV find that they are loved, accepted and supported by those close to them.

But people living with HIV do still experience stigma, prejudice and discrimination. This can often be the worst part of living with HIV.

It’s worth knowing that stigma and discrimination are taken seriously by the organisations that work for the rights and wellbeing of people living with HIV. There has been progress tackling these issues, although more needs to be done.

“Don’t let HIV define who you are.”

To deal with stigma and discrimination, it can be helpful to understand what causes them, to think about ways of responding, and to find out where you can go for help and support should you need it.

You’ve made a good first step dealing with these issues by reading this booklet.