The thought of facing HIV alone is daunting. People often look first to their partner, family members or friends for support.

In a 2014 UK survey, over seven in ten people said that if a family member said that they were HIV positive, it wouldn’t damage their relationship with them.

And a great many people living with HIV have found that those who were closest to them before they acquired HIV have continued to provide loving support.

"She knew instinctively. I never wanted to tell her, because I never wanted to hurt her, but actually I was hurting her by not telling her, because it really pained her that I couldn’t tell her.”

Even if somebody close to you reacts badly when they first find out that you are living with HIV, it could be that their attitude will change over time. It may just be that they are shocked, upset, or worried about your health and wellbeing. They may be worried about their own health and the risk of infection.

“In terms of my family, I don’t think my mother would understand it, she wouldn’t see the difference between HIV and AIDS, she’d think that I’d be dead in three months.”

But sometimes relationships do get worse, either for a short period or for a longer period.

If you don’t feel that you can trust or rely on family or friends for support – or if someone reacts badly when you tell them you are living with HIV – remember that there are organisations who may be able to help. Talking with people from these organisations may help you identify who might be the best people in your life to turn to as well as suggesting networks that can provide support.

You can find contact details for HIV support organisations in the section Getting support and championing your rights.

Giving a child information about HIV is usually an ongoing process. You may need to tell the child about their own health, or about that of a family member. What you say at any one time will depend on the child’s age, their level of understanding, and their readiness to know. For more on this, see NAM’s booklet HIV & children.