Personal story: Jayden

"I discovered in 2015 that I was HIV-positive – I had unprotected sex with another man. I cried my eyes out when my doctor gave me the news. I was in denial for a couple of weeks. Every time I saw my blood, I just saw HIV.

I had to come to terms with the fact that I am HIV-positive and work out how to deal with it my own way. Looking after my health meant that I had to learn how to love myself more than ever. I even told my family at the end of 2016. They were shocked but they support me 100%. The medication I am using helps me every day. I go every 6 months for a check-up and my health improves every time.

Here are my six rules to live by:

The fact that you are HIV-positive, doesn't mean that your life has ended. It gives you another opportunity in life to make it work for you.
If you are depressed? Get a counsellor to help you in difficult times.
Love you for who you are and deal with the fact that you are HIV-positive because it won't go away.
Being HIV-positive means that you have to look after yourself more carefully. Eating vegetables and fruits, taking your vitamins and immune boosters, exercise etc...
If you are sexually active, REMEMBER: “No glove! No love!” That’s my theory when it comes to sex."

What we say

Finding out that you have HIV can be really tough at first, but once you know you can start to work out your own way of dealing with it. Knowing your status can help you take control of your future, and Jayden has some good tips on how to start. See our page to learn more about HIV testing.

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These personal stories have been submitted to us anonymously by individuals who use our site. Some of the stories have been edited for clarity purposes and names have been changed to protect identities.

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