Living with HIV
Effective treatments for HIV mean that most people are able to live a long and healthy life. You’re not alone. There are services in Cork that are here to help, as well as a community of people living with HIV who are ready to share their experiences.
Get more information about supports available by:
Contacting the Sexual Health Centre
The Sexual Health Centre’s HIV support worker can provide advice. Advice can be about practical challenges you could be facing managing your physical health, or they can often be related to loneliness, isolation, and lack of social support.
Contact 021 427 6676 to make an appointment.
Contact our Senior Health Promotion Officer Phil at phil@sexualhealthcentre.com or 021 427 5837 to learn more.
Talk with a specialized counsellor:
Free 1:1 consultations with an accredited counsellor that are available for you, your partner or your family. Contact 021 427 6676 to make an appointment.
Meet with other people who know what this is like:
Positive Cork is a peer-run group for people living with HIV who provide emotional support and encouragement to each other. Contact us today to find out about their monthly get-togethers.
Talk to someone who’s already been through this:
Positive Now is a network of people ready to give one-on-one help as people who have experienced the problems you may be currently experiencing. You will be matched with someone based on the information you give for online or in person meet-ups. Contact peersupport@hivireland.ie or call 01 873 379
What is it?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages the cells in your immune system and weakens your ability to fight everyday infections and disease.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the name used to describe a number of potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses that happen when your immune system has been severely damaged by the HIV virus.
While AIDS can’t be transmitted from one person to another, the HIV virus can.
There’s currently no cure for HIV, but there are very effective drug treatments that enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life.
It is important to remember that with appropriate treatment people with HIV can have healthy sexual life without the risk of transmitting the virus to their sexual partner. At the centre, we focus on promoting this fact and the U=U (Undetectable=Untransmittable) message.
Important things to know
Starting antiretroviral treatment as soon as possible, and sustaining it as part of your everyday routine, is the best way of ensuring that your immune system stays strong.
Alongside your treatment, there are lots of things you can do to keep yourself healthy and happy and improve your overall wellbeing, like: regular exercising, eating healthy, getting enough rest and quality sleep.
There are some restrictions when it comes to living with HIV, like the inability to donate blood or organs, or travel to certain countries.
Should you tell anyone about your diagnosis?
It is completely up to you. Some people openly share their diagnosis with family and friends while others prefer to tell just one or two people they trust.
Your GP or counsellor can advise you on who should be contacted and the best way to approach it. They’ll also tell you how you can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to someone else in the future.
When it comes to your employer, you have no legal obligation to disclose your status, unless you have a frontline job in the armed forces or work in a healthcare role where you perform invasive procedures. However, telling them might make it easier to make any necessary adjustments to your workload or for you to have time off.U=U
It is important to remember that if you have HIV, are on effective treatment, and your viral load is undetectable you won’t pass along HIV to a sexual partner.
The Sexual Health Centre aims to raise public awareness about the U=U (Undetectable=Untransmittable) message which highlights this fact.
Tools for HIV Prevention
PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis)
PrEP is a daily dose of medication which reduces the risk of getting HIV.
How does PrEP work?
PrEP is proven to be safe and very effective to stop HIV from establishing itself inside the body. Taking PrEP once every day reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90%, and by more than 70% among people who inject drugs. PrEP stops HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body.
PrEP does not stop you from getting other sexually transmitted infection (STIs), so PrEP is not a replacement for condoms. Using condoms every time you have sex is the best way to prevent you from getting or passing on STIs.
Is PrEP available in Ireland?
Yes. From 4th December 2017, a generic version of the medication (Emtricitabine/Tenofovir disoproxil Teva) is available in pharmacies in the Republic of Ireland. You can only get it with a doctor’s prescription. Teva Pharmaceuticals Ireland (Teva) are supplying this more affordable, generic version. PrEP is not currently available from the Sexual Health Centre. There is a specialist PrEP clinic based at the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital. You can contact them for an appointment on 0874504239.
PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis)
PEP is a course of antiretroviral medication which can prevent HIV infection after a potential exposure to HIV. PEP needs to be started within 72 hours of a potential exposure to HIV. It is taken once or twice daily for 28 days.
PEP is only to be used in emergency situations. If you think you’ve recently been exposed to HIV during sex or through sharing needles and works to prepare drugs or if you’ve been sexually assaulted, you can access PEP from your local Accident and Emergency Department.
Where to get PEP:
PEP is free and is available in most STI/GUM clinics and hospital emergency departments. You can contact the STI/GUM clinic in Cork by calling 0214966844. Click here to view or download a list of locations where PEP is available in Ireland.
Remember, PEP works better when it is taken to the nearest hour of the incident happening, and it must be within 72 hours. Attend your nearest clinic or Hospital Accident and Emergency. Do not wait until the clinic you prefer is open.
Our services
Being diagnosed with HIV can be a shock, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have to deal with it alone. A range of options for both medical and emotional support is available to get you through this difficult time.
The Sexual Health Centre offers:
Support Worker
Free 1:1 consultations with an accredited counsellor that are available for you, your partner or your family.
Contact our Senior Health Promotion Officer Phil at phil@sexualhealthcentre.com or 021 427 5837 to learn more about it.
Client feedback:
“I felt welcome and safe in the centre”.
“The staff here are so nice and take time to explain everything and this is just perfect”.
“Friendly, informative, private and the staff are simply the best! Would come back”
For further information please contact Reception at info@sexualhealthcentre.com or via phone at 021 4276676.
You can find more information from the HSE on HIV here.