I’m an HIV positive woman and I was wondering if there is any support available?

Your first point of call might be to contact the Women’s Officer who can let you know about all the great programs that WAAC currently run for women. Please contact us by email or call us on 9482 0000 for more information.

My partner and I are thinking about having children – he is positive and I’m negative, is there someone we can talk to?

How wonderful that you and your partner are looking at starting a family. With the advanced treatments available now for HIV positive people more and more couples are looking forward to having children. For more information you can contact the Women’s Officer on 9482 0000 who can provide you with information and point you in the right direction.

I would like to disclose my status to family – is there someone who can help me with this?

Telling family and friends about your HIV status can be a very daunting experience. You may like to contact one of our Counsellors, Cipri Martinez our Positive Peer Educator or our Women’s Officer who will be more than happy to spend some time with you looking at disclosure and how to go about it. See our Positive Services Support page for more information. 

I have just been diagnosed with HIV – what do I do now?

Being diagnosed can be a very different experience for each person, however, most people who have been diagnosed will say that it is a very scary time and incredibly daunting. One of the ways in which many newly diagnosed people have dealt with this time is to sit and talk to another person who has been diagnosed. Why don’t you give Cipri Martinez, our HIV positive Peer Educator a call and make a time to meet so you can go over any concerns that you may have? Alternatively you might want to speak to one of our Counsellors. To find out more about our Counselling Services click here.

Where can my negative partner or family member go to get information and support?

There may be many questions that partners and families have around the diagnosis of their loved one. What does the future hold etc? Our Counsellors are happy to work with your family and partner or alternatively they can contact our Positive Peer Educator Cipri Martinez or our Women’s Officer to arrange a time to catch up and talk about the issues that they may have.

I am really feeling good with my health and am thinking of going back to work or study, who can I talk to about this?

How wonderful that your treatments are going so well and that you're looking at returning to work or study. This must be an exciting time for you and yet it may also be a rather scary process of "where do I start". If you already have a Support Officer then give them a call or alternatively if you are new to the agency you can call either Cipri Martinez or our Womens Officer who can talk to you about how you might go about getting the process started.

My health is declining and I am not sure I can continue working who can I talk to about this?

If you are finding it difficult to maintain your employment you can contact the Manager of Positive Services Kim Brooklyn who can talk to you about what your options might be. 

I have just been told I need to go onto treatments – is there someone I can talk to?

For many people the thought of going on treatments can bring up many issues and challenges. Seeking as much information as possible prior to beginning treatments can be a very empowering thing to do. Why don’t you give Cipri Martinez a call on 9482 0000? Cipri has experience around treatments and can hopefully help to answer questions that you may have. Alternatively you may like to go to our treatment links to access information on other web sites.

I’m really struggling financially. Is there someone I can talk to?

There are a few options available to you if you are having some financial problems. If you are not already a Support Services client then give Kim Brooklyn a ring on 9482 0000 and she can assist you on how we might be able to help. 

I am interested in exploring complimentary therapies, can you help?

We have a Living Well program at WAAC that provides complimentary therapies to PLWHA. These sessions are provided by qualified practitioners who volunteer their time. There is no cost to people with a health care card and a very nominal fee of $15 to those who are working. If you would like to take advantage of this program then please call to book an appointment on 9482 0000.  Also see our Health & Wellbeing page for more info about the program.

How can I meet other positive people for friendship, support and/or love?

There is a great deal of research to show that peer support is beneficial to the wellbeing of HIV positive people. The agency runs throughout the year a number of events which bring PLWHA together. If you are interested in meeting other HIV positive people then please give Cipri Martinez a call on 9482 0000 to see what events are coming up.

I am heterosexual and would like to find out about specific services/support?

Contrary to belief WAAC works with a number of heterosexual people and so if you are interested in meeting other heterosexual HIV positive people then please give Kim Brooklyn a call on 9482 0000 

I am co infected with Hepatitis C, what support can I access?

Having both HIV and Hepatitis C can be more complex so it is really important that you get support and information on how to live with both of these conditions. For your HIV obviously we at WAAC can assist and there is also the Hepatitis Council that can help with regards to your hepatitis. Why don’t you give either Cipri Martinez a call on 9482 0000 and he will be able to provide you with some information and literature and also give you contact details for the Hepatitis WA.

I want to travel overseas, what do I need to know?

How wonderful that you are looking at travel overseas whether it is for pleasure or work. It is really important that if you are living with HIV that you find out the restrictions and requirements that some countries may have with regards to HIV positive people. It is also important for you to know about vaccinations and the implications for you and also about treatment access whilst you are away. When enquiring about issues to do with vaccinations and medications it is really important to speak to your doctor. We are able to provide limited information about requirements of travel for some countries but we will be able to refer you to services that will be able to provide more comprehensive information. So give Cipri Martinez a call on 9482 0000.

I would like to volunteer my time and services, who do I talk to?

Volunteering can be a really rewarding thing to do and we are always looking for new volunteers. So if you are interested in being a volunteer for the organisation then please give the Volunteer Coordinator a call on 9482 0000 and they will assist you with your enquiries or contact us for more info.

I am living with HIV and live in the country and would like to know what support is available to me? 

Whilst living and working in the country can have it’s benefits it can also have some draw backs and one of those is lack of services. Whilst we don’t have services in  country areas we do have a number of options. Firstly, we may be able to refer you to services in your area that can assist you with some issues. Secondly, if it is emotional and peer support you are looking for we do provide Life Coaching which can be done by telephone, or you may wish to join the Cyberchat internet group, or you may just wish to get support from our on of our Counsellors, our HIV Positive Peer Support Worker, Cipri Martinez or our Women’s Officer. Lastly, if you are living in the south west there is a group that meets a number of times a year for social and peer support.

If you would like more information on how we can meet your needs then please contact the Manager Kim Brooklyn on 9482 0000.