Charities Supporting People with HIV and AIDS

Living with HIV and AIDS has changed, increasingly for the better, since the AIDS epidemic began. A variety of new treatments, techniques, preventative measures and educational campaigns has worked tirelessly to improve livelihoods for people who live with HIV and AIDS. Whether it's combating the stigma, emotional and counselling support, medical intervention, or propagating testing, the organisations in this article have been doing their all for people with HIV/AIDS. Whether you’re looking for support, or want to support them to do the work they do, check them out:

Terrence Higgins Trust - https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv-and-sexual-health/about-hiv

The Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is the leading HIV and sexual education charity in the UK, working for decades to combat social attitudes towards HIV and AIDS, and those who have it. On top of working with healthcare providers to improve access to services relating to HIV - including testing, aftercare, treatment - THT also works to educate people. Their values are fourfold: ambition, honestly, difference, and independence. By combining these, THT has remained at the cutting edge of HIV service provision in the UK. Particularly, at this moment in time, a strong emphasis is being put on supporting people with HIV during the coronavirus epidemic, as well as using the pandemic opportunity to work towards eradicating transmission of HIV in the UK.

Trabajando en Positivo - http://www.trabajandoenpositivo.org/

Trabajando en Positivo is a network of organisations based in Spain which seeks to support HIV+ workers and help HIV+ people find work. Through providing advocacy to raise awareness of the issues and stigmas that HIV+ people face, Trabajando en Positivo is able to effectively advocate for corporate social responsibility, changes in policy, and creating inclusive environments. They are a member of myGwork’s Employment Exchange, which is the largest online exchange of its type supporting trans people in Spain to find work. Through their vital work, Trabajando en Positivo have helped raise the profile of HIV+ people.

The Humsafar Trust - https://humsafar.org/

Based in Mumbai, the Humsafar Trust has reached out to the LGBTQ+ community in Mumbai and the surrounding area to provide workshops and support on topics such as HIV and AIDS, as well as other issues pertinent to the LGBTQ+ community. In the last decade, working with local government HIV/AIDS organisations, Humsafar has reached over 100,000 LGBT people at risk of contracting HIV and distributed nearly a million condoms a year. Now reaching over 10,000 people a year directly, and providing over 40,000 HIV tests, the Humsafar Trust has had a radical impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Mumbai whilst also advocating against the stigma, and for better treatment.

AS - The Center for the Empowerment of Young People Living with HIV and AIDS - https://twitter.com/AS_Centar

AS, the Center for the Empowerment of Young People Living with HIV and AIDS, is a Serbian NGO working to support young people. Founded in 2009 by 56 young people with HIV and AIDS, and with the support of a further 21 with neither, the organisation seeks to promote advocacy around protecting the rights of people with HIV/AIDS. Wanting to empower young people, AS offers psychological support and counselling to people, legal advice, as well as social events and opportunities to uplift and connect young people living with HIV and AIDS to each other.

The GLAS Foundation - https://glasfoundation.bg/

Founded in 2014 in Bulgaria, the GLAS Foundation promotes LGBTQ+ acceptance in Bulgaria, whilst also seeking to provide support to marginalised portions of the community. This includes campaigning for those with HIV and AIDS, to address the stigma and mistreatment they receive. GLAS has also led a successful online campaign to encourage people to find out their HIV status, as part of the 90/90/90 target, enabling people to seek treatment and break the chain of transmission. This campaigning has manifested in the form of a post campaign and online advertising, aimed at LGBTQ+ people to raise awareness, and share amongst others. GLAS work also covers other areas important and pertinent to the community, including tackling hate crimes and supporting those trying to become parents.

Positively UK - https://positivelyuk.org/

Positively UK works to promote the health and wellbeing of HIV+ people in the UK through advancing education, healthcare provision, and support around the subject. In partnership with the NHS, Positively UK has been able to integrate into 12 clinics across London to run a range of peer-led support groups for people affected by HIV, including events and workshops for new-diagnosed people to help them. In addition, Positively UK also works with those who are pregnant or planning to start families to support them, and integrates activists, clinicians and life coaches together with the purpose of making real changes for those who are HIV+ in the UK.

George House Trust - https://ght.org.uk/

George House Trust offers 1 to 1 services for anyone living with HIV, enabling people to talk to advisers and raise concerns and issues affecting them. These advisers can then help, signpost, or advocate as necessary to help enact real change for HIV+ people on topics including emotional wellbeing, relationships, employment, and others. In addition to this, George House Trust also offers advice via email and telephone, to provide lifelines to HIV+ people to talk about issues affecting them and provide suitable support and treatment. From the point of diagnosis, GHT is there to answer all of your questions and support you, as an HIV+ person, to overcome the hurdles ahead of you and live life without obstacles.

STOPAIDS - https://stopaids.org.uk/

STOPAIDS is a collection of organisations which has been working over the last 30 years towards fighting HIV and AIDS transmission, on a global level. Through working with international organisations like UNAIDS, and lobbying government organisations within the UK, STOPAIDS is working towards a world where HIV+ people are supported with protection, respect and human dignity in a society where they are healthy and free, and transmission of HIV has been prevented. BY sitting on the boards of strategic stakeholders, STOPAIDS is able to lobby and work towards this goal by coordinating a truly global effort.

Frontline AIDS - https://frontlineaids.org/

Frontline AIDS is an organisation that has been working to tackle the transmission of HIV across the world by working closely with communities to build effective prevention programmes on a case-by-case basis. Through innovation, they have been able to cut HIV+ infection numbers in communities by breaking transmission into three categories for prevention: biomedical prevention, behavioural prevention, and structural prevention: providing different levels of support from condoms to encouraging people to engage in safer sex. Particularly, Frontline AIDS has used technology and technical assistance to be at the cutting edge of innovating in this area, to help reach communities and support them - particularly during the coronavirus pandemic.

Positive East - https://www.positiveeast.org.uk/

For almost 3 decades, Positive East has been supporting people from the point of their HIV diagnosis to longer, full-life care. Their mission is simple: to improve the quality of life of individuals and communities affected by HIV. To this end, they have advanced holistic health and wellbeing programmes, including counselling, testing and workshops for those who have HIV. As part of promoting a safer culture, Positive East works with both HIV+ people to help them, and to help people stay HIV-, including reducing undiagnosed infection and late HIV diagnoses as part of cutting the onward transmission of HIV.