It can be good to have somebody close to you to confide in when you are upset, confused, angry, or need to talk things through. You may well have a friend who you instinctively know you can trust to tell that you have HIV and to look for support. But you should still take time to think things through. Think about why you want to tell a friend or friends. Consider the likely impact on your friendship of telling them you have HIV. Think about how they may react when you tell them, and about what their reaction would be if they found out from another source after you didn’t tell them.

Remember, friends might talk amongst themselves or to other people about your health. It’s important to make it clear to them if you want them to keep information about your HIV to themselves.