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Women living with HIV often have nowhere to turn to for support and feel unable to disclose and discuss their status with others in their community for fear of discrimination. Positively Women’s peer support programme provides practical and emotional support acting as a lifeline for women coping with an HIV diagnosis.

100%
Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • Women & Girls Women & Girls

    Situation

    Due to the stigma surrounding HIV, women living with the virus, in particular those newly diagnosed often do not know where to turn for support. In most cases women do not feel able to disclose and discuss their status with others within their community for fear of being ostracised. Our experience demonstrates that women present with complex cases and multiple issues notably around health, finance, children, housing, isolation and depression. These issues can dominate a woman’s life acting as barriers to managing and improving their health, bringing up children and accessing further opportunities including training and support. Peer Case Workers provide support through the following: One-to-one support: Provides the first opportunity for a woman living with HIV to meet another HIV positive woman and facilitates intense support with space to discuss personal issues and explore resolutions. Support groups: Facilitation of support groups enables participants to be active, rather than passive service users. Groups generate discussion and opportunities for women to share issues and resolutions with each other. Mentoring: Providing opportunities for development, mentoring enables women to develop new skills and actively take part in running services. The total costs of engaging a full time case worker is £39,000 per annum. A case worker can provide support to 80 women each year, through 300 interventions. Key outcomes are:  Increased ability to cope with a new HIV diagnosis  Increased ability to make informed choices around healthcare including treatment options  Increased optimism and ability to plan for the future  Increase in the mental health and emotional well-being of women living with HIV through the establishment of peer support networks

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • Women & Girls Women & Girls