Just diagnosed

It’s not uncommon to have emotional reactions, such as anxiety, anger, or depression from time to time. These feelings don’t last forever. You’ve got choices about how you respond to your feelings.

There’re many things you could do:

• Spend sufficient time to rest in order to stabilize your mood and resume physical strength.
• Keep on your daily (normal) functioning.
• Share your feelings and concerns with someone who knows your diagnosis and whom you trust.
• Limit the amount of caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
• Relax your mind: arrange some amusement to make yourself relaxed. You may also seek spiritual comfort and support from your religion.
• Find a support system to help you, including doctors, family members, friends, support groups, and other services. Remember, you are not alone; "time" is a good cure of pain.

Living with HIV doesn't mean you have to face it alone. Support from family, friends and other people around you can help. It's okay if you’re not ready to tell others. You can seek support from HIV clinic professionals and community organizations workers.

Non-government organizations (NGOs) providing community support services to people living with HIV include:

• AIDS Concern
• C.H.O.I.C.E. (Chinese version only)
• Hong Kong AIDS Foundation
• The Society for AIDS Care

What you have to do is to:

• Work out the treatment plan with your doctor;
• Prepare for the changes in your daily life, e.g. where to put the medicines;
• Stick to the treatment plan, discuss with your doctor if there are any side effects you cannot deal with.

It's important to see a doctor who specializes in HIV care. He or she will monitor your laboratory results, work with you to develop a treatment plan suitable for you, advise you on health-related matters, and care for your general health and well-being.

Clinical and community services for people living with HIV:
The Integrated Treatment Centre (ITC) in Kowloon Bay is where the Department of Health provides clinical and social services to ambulatory HIV patients. About 60% of the HIV caseloads are seen at ITC. For the information of fees and charges, please refer to the Department's website: out-patient services and laboratory services.

In addition, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital also provide treatment and care services. Please refer to the website of Hospital Authority for details of fees and charges.

Disclosing can be one of the hardest parts about managing a new diagnosis of HIV but it’s good to have someone to talk to, be they your family, care providers, partner or friends. Think of someone you can trust and turn to for help when problems arise. Consider:

• Why do you want to tell them? What do you want from them?
• Find a private place. If you’re phoning them, ask if you’ve called at a good time before giving them the news.
• Prepare for the reaction. You can't control how others deal with your news.

Examples of dialogue openers:

• "There's something important that I have to tell you. I had an HIV test last week and found out I'm positive."

Examples of responses:

• "Have you been cheating on me?"
  In response to that, "No, you can have HIV for a long time without knowing it. A previous partner has given it to one of us."