How to Counsel HIV Positive Patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes the immune system to begin to fail. This eventually leads to death from viruses as simple as the common cold. According to sxmaidsfoundation.org, from 1981 to 2006, 25 million people have died from this sexually transmitted disease. When a person contracts this disease, they begin to feel a lot of emotions at once. They are scared and angry, confused and hurt. It is recommended that HIV positive patients receive some type of counseling.

Instructions

• 1

  Educate yourself about the HIV and AIDS virus. It is important that you are informed about various treatment options that you can discuss with your patient. Take the time to think about what your patient will be feeling before you talk to them. There are many emotions that revolve around a positive HIV result.

• 2

  Educate your patient about the virus. Discuss various drug-and-treatment options with your patient. Encourage them to take charge of their health and stay up-to-date about the various available treatments. Make sure they know that being diagnosed with HIV is not an immediate death sentence. Many people live completely normal lives for more than 10 years after being diagnosed.

• 3

  Recommend a support group. It is helpful for people with HIV to be able to talk to others in the same situation. These support groups will help your patients to deal with the many emotions that they are feeling after being diagnosed. Also, support groups help with the new aspects of life that your patient will have to deal with after being diagnosed.

• 4

  Be positive. There is a good chance that your patient has become socially isolated. Many people diagnosed with HIV have been rejected by friends and family. If this is the case, your patient will feel disgusted with himself and lonely. Many people will feel uncomfortable touching your patient. Make sure you tell them that they are loved.

• 5

  If your patient has not told their friends or family about having HIV, help them come up with a way to tell them. The family needs to know, the drug-using friends and the sexual partner(s) of your patient need to know as well. Let your patients ask questions and take the time to answer them.