FFLAG launches second edition of support booklet for friends and families of people diagnosed with HIV
As the national charity dedicated to supporting friends and families of LGBT+ individuals, FFLAG aims to offer invaluable support to those facing the emotional challenges that come with a loved one’s HIV diagnosis.
With HIV now affecting as many heterosexual people as LGBT+ people, the ‘When Someone You Love is Diagnosed with HIV’ booklet is for all parents, partners and friends of anyone receiving a HIV diagnosis; irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity, be it gay, straight, trans or cisgender.
This booklet gives those nearest and dearest to someone newly diagnosed with HIV the facts about the virus, dispelling many of the myths of the past, and explains the wonderful message that Undetectable = Untransmissible.
Sarah Furley, Chair of FFLAG reflects:
“Written by two mothers from their personal experience of supporting their children, this booklet shares their emotional journey as well as valuable information about an infection that was once almost always fatal but can now be controlled and may one day be eliminated. We hope it will bring reassurance to families that their loved ones can enjoy happy healthy lives.”
The extended second version of the booklet has a greater focus on how stigma obstructs the aim of eliminating HIV/AIDS. The main message remains, of course, that individuals living with HIV, when on effective treatment, can lead lives of normal expectancy without risking transmission to partners or others.
A Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV at Wiltshire Sexual Health, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, expresses the booklet’s significance in addressing the acute concerns of patients. Reassurance regarding effective treatments, halting transmission, and extended life expectancies can be delivered by healthcare professionals, but the emotional impact on family and friends is a dimension often challenging to address.
“The FFLAG ‘Someone I love has HIV’ booklet provides reassurance to families from others that have been through the same experience and is priceless to our patients and their loved ones. That experience is something that we as clinicians are often unable to provide. It has become a valued resource for us to use during the first weeks of a new HIV diagnosis.”
FFLAG offers support by email support@fflag.org.uk or through our Helpline (0300 688 0368) and through the materials on our website fflag.org.uk
Facebook: facebook.com/OfficialFFLAG/
Instagram: instagram.com/fflagparent2parent/
