Being treated unfairly, rejected, insulted, misrepresented or even assaulted because you have HIV can hurt you emotionally. Don’t bottle up or internalise the feelings that come from these experiences. Talk to somebody close to you that you trust, or find a professional counsellor through an HIV organisation or your HIV clinic, so that you can safely talk through your experiences and feelings.

Try and use your experiences constructively. For example, write about them, or get involved in an organisation dedicated to fighting stigma or discrimination.

If you are harassed or assaulted because you have HIV or because of your race or sexuality, then contact the police and your local HIV organisation. The police take these crimes very seriously and many police forces have Community Safety Units dedicated to preventing and investigating this sort of crime.