Your HIV diagnosis – what happens now

If your HIV test was at a Sexual Health Clinic, you will already have spoken to one of their medical staff about your diagnosis and potential treatment. They will be monitoring the levels of virus in your system and the health of your immune system and general health. These results will determine when you will start medication and your clinic team will be able to advise you on the next steps regarding treatment.

If your HIV result was via a home test, you should make an appointment at your local sexual health clinic for a blood test to confirm the diagnosis and to assess your situation. If you need help with arranging this, please just give us a call and we will happily help.

It is very important to attend clinic appointments as often as your HIV team decides. Initially this may be relatively often as your HIV consultant may need to perform a series of tests to decide the best course of treatment and care depending on your individual circumstances. You can then expect clinic appointments to go down to once every three months, and then once every six months. Some people now only need to attend their appointment once every 12 months, but your consultant will explain what is right for you.

In England, all HIV appointments and HIV treatments are provided by the NHS and are free regardless of immigration or financial circumstances.

In terms of support and advice, the first thing to do would be to make an appointment with one of our client support advisers who can talk you through support TVPS can offer as well as provide a safe space for you to talk about your diagnosis in confidence.

Our team can offer one to one advice and support about any issue relating to your HIV. If you need advice around a matter that is not directly connected with HIV, we can direct you to other organisations who can help.