In 1993, as a 21 year old, I was diagnosed with HIV. I remember the personal devastation of having my dreams and my life wrenched from me. I was told that I may have five good remaining years of life…
I’m Cipri Martinez, and this is the first of what is to be a regular column about living well with HIV. Through my column, I am aiming for the broader community to develop an understanding of the issues which confront people with HIV today. I hope to personalise the experience of living with HIV so that it remains a deep personal concern within the community, worthy of our efforts to prevent further transmission and compassionately embrace those living with HIV.
To help me adjust to my own diagnosis, I attended counselling and different types of community and peer support that were invaluable in helping me to face what was a very difficult time. I now have the privilege of working with people living with HIV as a HIV Positive Peer Education & Support at the WA AIDS Council, a role which has given me the opportunity to give back some of the compassion and support I have received over the years.
So what does my work at WAAC entail? My aim is to provide peer-based education including the knowledge, skills and attitudes a person with HIV requires to live a healthy life. For some, this may begin soon after diagnosis when people generally feel very vulnerable and emotionally distressed. For others they may have been lived with HIV for a long time. Often people require information around HIV treatments, monitoring and skills for the prevention of further transmission. As a number of people experience stigmatised reactions to disclosure or rejection in intimate situation, I assist people in managing these negative impacts.
Another aspect of my work with people revolves around support which can mean different things to individuals. Within my role, support is about listening and understanding, decision making assistance, role modelling, problem solving and when required, referrals. But most importantly my work is about helping people to form attitudes that are life enhancing, such as developing and maintaining a positive outlook.
In my next column I’ll be discussing the role of people with HIV in prevention, however if you have any particular topics you would like to see discussed in future columns please feel free to contact me via livingwellwithHIV@www.outinperth.com .
For further information on WAAC and the range of support services available, you can visit www.waaids.com or call (08) 9482 0000.
