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Getting the best HIV care

Resource • 7 May 2009
Getting the best HIV care (cover image)

NAPWA has produced this guide to help HIV-positive Australians make the best decisions they can about their health, care and treatment.

The guide gives you a checklist of issues to work through when planning your health and treatment with your doctor. The guide lists the main tests and health checks that HIV-positive people should expect to receive as part of comprehensive health care. Support and information services to help with long-term living with HIV are also described.

The checklist of issues is designed for all people with HIV. However, there are some additional issues listed for people recently infected with HIV and those with advanced HIV infection to consider.

Most of the terms in this guide are self-explanatory.However,some laboratory tests and health checks may need explaining by your doctor. There is also a glossary at the end of the guide.

NAPWA recommends that you work through this guide with your doctor – particularly when you are seeing a doctor about your HIV for the first time or when your doctor is preparing or updating your health care plan.

Through using this guide,we hope that HIV-positive people will not only be well informed about their HIV and general health but, most importantly,they will have worked in partnership with their doctor to produce a clear,comprehensive health care plan for living well with HIV.

How to get a copy of the guide

  • Ask your doctor. NAPWA has provided copies of the guide to doctors and HIV clinics around Australia for distribution to their patients. If your doctor doesn't have copies of the guide, s/he should contact NAPWA to obtain some.
  • Call NAPWA on 1800 259 666 and we can mail a copy out.
  • Download the PDF. A downloadable version of the guide is available from the link below.
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In stock. Printed copies of this resource are available from the NAPWA office. Contact NAPWA if you would like a copy mailed to you.

This Resource was first published on 7 May 2009.

While the content of this resource was checked for accuracy at the time of publication, NAPWA recommends checking to determine whether the information is the most up-to-date available, especially when making decisions which may affect your health.

This article may contain medical information. NAPWA makes every reasonable effort to ensure the information on this website is accurate, reliable and up-to-date, including obtaining technical reviews by medically-qualified reviewers, however the authors of information on this website are not qualified to give medical advice, except where explicitly stated.

The content of this website is intended to support, not replace, the relationship between people living with HIV/AIDS and their medical advisers, and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

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