HIV is not death sentence
Since its inception in 1987 the Sexual Health Centre has been closely associated with the development of care and support services for people living with HIV. HIV, (which stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus), attacks the cells which would normally protect the body from illness. There is no cure for HIV and once somebody has the virus, they have it for the rest of their life.
In the early days of the Sexual Health Centres’ work with HIV positive people, the virus was seen as a death sentence. Over the last 28 years the life experience and expectations of people living with HIV has changed dramatically. Due to the effectiveness of the treatments, it is now possible for HIV positive people to live full and active lives. However, because of the stigma attached to being HIV positive many people who are aware of having placed themselves at risk are reluctant to go for testing.
