Advice on Giving a HIV Diagnosis

Giving a Compassionate HIV Diagnosis

In the primary care setting, General Practitioners (GPs) play a vital role in the prevention of transmission of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and the provision of care to people living with HIV (PLHIV), specifically in early diagnosis and management.

Whilst HIV is a lifelong manageable chronic illness, the compassion, approach taken, and relevant information given to someone around the time of diagnosis can have a profound impact on their experience living with HIV into the future.

For every person who has received a HIV diagnosis, it was a life-changing event.  The Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) has developed a guide for talking through a new diagnosis of HIV for nurses and midwives, but its fundamentals apply to anyone in a primary health care role involved in diagnosis.

Additionally, the HIV Clinical Indicator Testing Tool developed by ASHM addresses prevention (including PrEP, PEP and TaSP), diagnosis and management of HIV.

Our trained team is here to help you should you have any questions or need support. You can call for free from a Queensland land-line on 1800 636 241 or call (07) 3013 5555 (national). You can also email us or use the contact form or the chat function in the corner of our website.