Practicalities of telling somebody

If you decide to tell somebody that you have HIV, think carefully about what you are going to tell them, and how, where and when you are going to do this. Also think about how they are going to react and prepare to answer questions that you think they might ask you.

Be clear about who they can and cannot share information about your HIV status with. You don’t want to lose control over who knows that you have HIV.

Telling somebody that you have HIV might tap into their prejudices about sexuality, illness, disability, race or HIV itself. Think about how you will react if this happens.

It can be very difficult if the person you tell is very upset or doesn’t understand. You might feel like the one offering support. In addition, it’s possible that a person may feel under pressure to offer you support and may not know be able to, or know how to.