On Monday 1 December, Ealing Council will fly its World Aids Day flag above Perceval House and the building will be lit up red to support people living with HIV and remember lives that have been lost.
Around Ealing spoke to Amy, a Bromley resident, who is living well with HIV and helps others in the borough come to terms with their diagnosis so they can live well too.
Amy was diagnosed 22 years ago. “I didn’t think I was positive. I found out by chance,” she said. “Testing is imperative. If you are sexually active, you should get tested at least once a year. The earlier you find out, the less damage is done.”
Breaking stigma and isolation
Amy is a peer support worker at Ealing Hospital HIV clinic. She added: “We think it’s easier for service users to open up to someone who has lived experience. Someone who isn’t in that position doesn’t understand what it might mean for people.”
For many, stigma remains the biggest challenge.
“People think it’s our fault we’re HIV positive, but nobody asks for it. And, with the right treatment you live a normal life like everyone else.
“Sometimes it’s just a lack of knowledge. People still believe myths from the 1980s, that you can catch HIV from sharing food or a kiss. Science has moved on, but people’s understanding hasn’t.”
Amy started a coffee morning at Ealing Hospital for people living with HIV to connect with others, feel more supported and less isolated. The group is open to people who are HIV positive.
Amy said: “It’s much easier to open up when that barrier is already down. We all come from different backgrounds – old and young, different sexual orientations, but we accept each other the way we are.”
Referrals to the group are made via specialist nurses, sexual health advisors or self-referral. Support includes peer mentoring, wellbeing assessments and signposting to housing, benefits and counselling services.
The group meets monthly, offering a safe space to talk, share experiences and build friendships. It also organises outings, such as trips to Tate Modern.
Free testing
The council’s commissioned HIV prevention partner, Spectra, will be returning outside Ealing Town Hall to offer information and HIV testing on Wednesday 3 December between 11am and 4pm.
You can also visit the HIV awareness stand in Ealing Broadway’s shopping centre at the Christmas market on Monday 1 December. The stand will be operated by the council’s partners Living Well and Positively UK, which provides support services for people living with HIV.
‘A community where no one feels alone’
Councillor Polly Knewstub, the council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives, said: “World Aids Day is about solidarity and breaking stigma and Amy’s story shows the power of lived experience. Her bravery in sharing her journey and supporting others is inspiring. With the right treatment and support, people living with HIV can lead full, healthy lives, and we want everyone in our borough to know that help is out there. Testing, talking openly, and challenging myths are how we build a community where no one feels alone.”
Help, support and HIV testing
- Sexual Health London, SHL.UK – order a HIV and STIs free home testing kit online
- London North West Sexual Health and Contraceptive Services – if you need to speak to a clinician go to their website for more information about local sexual health and for HIV treatment services
- Living Well and Positively UK – if you are living with or have been affected by HIV you can access free psychosocial and practical peer support in the borough. Visit the Together website
