This HIV Weekly is a Christmas and New Year special. In it you will find information to help you get through the festive period.
Tuesday 27th December is a holiday, so there will be no HIV Weekly. But there will be a bumper edition of all the latest HIV news, including a summary of key news from the ICAAC, one of the years key HIV conferences, the week after.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year from everybody at NAM.
HIV services at Christmas and the New Year
Although arrangements will differ between individual clinics, it is probable that your HIV clinic will close on the afternoon of Friday 23rd December and will not reopen until the morning of Wednesday 28th December, closing again for the New Year break on Friday 30th December and reopening on Tuesday 3rd January. It is possible, however, that your clinic will close on Friday 23rd December not to reopen until January 3rd.
It makes good sense to check opening times with your clinic. Make sure you have enough medication to get through the holiday period as it will be very difficult to obtain additional supplies during the Christmas holiday.
HIV voluntary organisations will also be closed for much of the Christmas period.
To obtain medical treatment and care you may either have to use your GP or accident and emergency services at your nearest hospital.
Helplines such as NHS Direct (0845 1221 200), The Samaritans (0845 790 9090), and the National Sexual Health Helpline (0800 567 123) are open 24 hours everyday of the year. HIV specific services such as THT Direct (0845 1221 200) and I-Base’s Treatment Phoneline (0808 800 6013) may well be closed for some or all of the Christmas period.
You can read a general factsheet about HIV services over the Christmas and New Year period here.Your medication and Christmas
First of all, make sure that you have enough HIV and other medication to get through the entire Christmas and New Year period. At very least it will be inconvenient trying to get a repeat prescription if your supplies run out.
Christmas often involves socialising, breaking your routine and travel, and all these can have implications for taking your medication. There are NAM factsheets on adherence and adherence tips which provide a good introduction to why adherence to your HIV medication is important and on how you can maintain good adherence. If you require more information, then read the award winning NAM information booklet Adherence.Sexual Health
Good sexual health is as important at Christmas as any other time of the year. Condoms provide excellent protection against the transmission of HIV, most other sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Unprotected sex can involve a risk of HIV transmission, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. There are NAM factsheets on sexually transmitted infections which provide information on how infections are transmitted, their symptoms and their treatment. There are also a series of factsheets on reproductive health. If you are HIV-positive and have unprotected sex with an HIV-negative person, they may be able to obtain a short course of anti-HIV treatment called post-exposure prophylaxis to try and prevent them becoming infected with HIV.
Remember, sexual health clinics, like HIV clinics will close on Friday 23rd December and many won’t reopen until the New Year. If you require treatment for a sexually transmitted infection you will need to contact your GP or your local hospital’s accident and emergency department.
Unprotected sex can have risks other than sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy. These include infection with hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C, as well as a risk of reinfection with another strain of HIV.
It is also worth noting that some HIV-positive people in the UK have been sent to prison after they had unprotected sex with somebody who was HIV-negative and infected them with HIV. You can read about this here.Diet, nutrition and exercise
Over-eating is a common feature of Christmas in the UK. To find out about good diet read the NAM booklet Nutrition . If you are considering starting an exercise programme to try and improve your general health or work off the weight you gained over Christmas, this factsheet should provide a good place to start.
The New Year period is also when many people decide to try and stop smoking, and there is a factsheet on the general health consequences of smoking as well as some tips on how to stop. To read it click here.
Coping with Christmas
Not everybody finds Christmas relaxing, enjoyable or a happy time of the year. Indeed, the general expectation that you should be happy can make it even harder if you are feeling depressed.
The NAM booklet Mental Health and HIV provides information on depression and how to look after your mental health.
Many helplines are open throughout the Christmas period and it’s worth remembering, it will be over in just a few days.