Living with HIV

Health-related issues for people living with HIV

For HIV treatment, please see our Treatment section.

What Does HIV Do to You?

How HIV affects your body

• HIV: The Basics from Managing your health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV

Monitoring Your Health

Tests to monitor HIV infection and overall health

• HIV Viral Load Testing, an introduction to the viral load test, answering basic questions about how it fits into a treatment plan

More on monitoring tests

Side Effects and Symptoms

Side effects of HIV treatments and HIV symptoms and how to handle them

• A Practical Guide to HIV Drug Side Effects for People Living with HIV, CATIE’s guide to common HIV drug side effects, with tips on how to handle them

See also Side Effects in the Treatment section

Long-Term Health

Long-term health issues that can affect people living with HIV

• A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV
• Diabetes and Blood Sugar Problems from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV
• Hormone Changes from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV

Aging with HIV

The impact of aging for people living with HIV

• HIV and aging, healthy living tips for people 50 and over living with HIV
• Managing Multiple Conditions from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV

More on HIV and aging

Bone health

Bone health for people living with HIV

• Bone Health from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV

More on bone health

Brain health

Brain health and cognitive issues for people living with HIV

• Brain Health from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV

More on brain health

Emotional health

Emotional and mental health issues for people living with HIV

• HIV and emotional wellness – how people with HIV can cultivate their emotional well-being
• Coping with stress from Managing Your Health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV

More on emotional health

Heart health

Cardiovascular health for people living with HIV

• Cardiovascular Health from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV
• HIV and cardiovascular disease – CATIE fact sheet

More on heart health

HIV and chronic inflammation

Inflammation caused by HIV and its effects on the body

• Oxidative Stress and Inflammation from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV
• Inflammation from TreatmentUpdate, CATIE's digest on HIV and hepatitis C research and treatment

More on chronic inflammation

HIV-related infections and cancers

Infections and cancers that can affect people living with HIV

• HIV-related infections and cancers from Managing Your Health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV

Infections

• Fact sheets on infections
• Fact sheets on hepatitis

Cancers

• Fact sheets on cancers
• Anti-Cancer Agents from TreatmentUpdate, CATIE's digest on HIV and hepatitis C research and treatment

Kidney health

Kidney health for people living with HIV

• Kidney Health from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV
• The Kidneys from TreatmentUpdate, CATIE's digest on HIV and hepatitis C research and treatment

More on Kidneys

Liver health

Liver health for people living with HIV

• Liver Health from A Practical Guide to a Healthy Body for People Living with HIV, CATIE's guide to preventing and managing multiple health conditions for people living with HIV
• Liver Toxicity from A Practical Guide to HIV Drug Side Effects, CATIE’s guide to common HIV drug side effects

More on Liver health

HIV and Pregnancy

Pregnancy and pregnancy planning options for people living with HIV

• Growing Your Family – CATIE
• Having an HIV-negative baby from The Power of Undetectable: What you need to know about HIV treatment as prevention
• Pregnancy and infant feeding: Can we say U=U about the risk of passing HIV to an infant? from Prevention in Focus, CATIE’s online prevention resource
• Is Formula Good for My Baby? – The Teresa Group

More on reproductive and maternal health

Disclosure

Telling others you have HIV

• How do I tell my kids? ­(A booklet about HIV disclosure in the family) – Teresa Group
• Disclosure: Telling someone you are living with HIV – Positive Living Society of British Columbia

For more on Disclosure, see Legal issues for people living with HIV.

HIV in Specific Populations

People from specific populations who are living with HIV

• Population-Specific HIV/AIDS Status Report: People Living With HIV/AIDS – Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM)

Gay and other MSM living with HIV

• The epidemiology of HIV in gay men and other men who have sex with men
• Population-Specific HIV/AIDS Status Report: Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men – Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)

Women

Women living with HIV

• The epidemiology of HIV in women
• Women and HIV from Managing Your Health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV
• Women Lovin': A sexual health guide for queer women – AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT)

For more, see Women in the Specific populations section of Prevention.

People who use drugs

People who use drugs and are living with HIV

• What works: What you need to know if you have HIV and inject drugs – CATIE
• The epidemiology of HIV in people who inject drugs in Canada
• Harm reduction as a tool to healthy living from Managing Your Health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV

For more, see People who Inject or Use Drugs in the Specific populations section of Prevention.

Indigenous people

Indigenous people living with HIV

• Strong medicine – an educational video developed by the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network and CATIE, with and for Indigenous people living with HIV
• A Mile in Our Moccasins: HIV education and awareness through lived experiences and an Indigenous lens
• Honouring our Journey – Chee Mamuk
• The criminalization of HIV – Kimamow Atoskanow Foundation

For more, see Aboriginal Peoples in the Specific populations section of Prevention.

Children

Children living with HIV

• Children and HIV from Managing Your Health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV

For more, see Children in the Specific populations section of Prevention.

Youth

Young people living with HIV

For more, see Young people in the Specific populations section of Prevention.

Older adults

Older people living with HIV

• HIV and aging from Managing Your Health, CATIE’s guide for people living with HIV
• HIV and aging, healthy living tips for people 50 and over living with HIV
• Aging and HIV – Toronto People With AIDS Foundation

For more see Older Adults in the Specific populations section of Prevention

National HIV Organizations

Contact information for HIV organizations and health ministries in Canada

HIV 411

HIV411 provides access to up-to-date information about HIV/AIDS and related services in Canada

Provincial and Territorial Ministries of Health

Contact information for provincial and territorial ministries of health

• Alberta - Ministry of Health and Wellness
• British Columbia - Ministry of Health Services
• Manitoba - Department of Health
• New Brunswick - Department of Health
• Newfoundland and Labrador - Ministry of Health and Community Services
• Northwest Territories - Department of Health and Social Services
• Nova Scotia - Department of Health
• Nunavut - Department of Health and Social Services
• Ontario - Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• Prince Edward Island - Department of Health and Wellness
• Quebec - Le ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux
• Saskatchewan - Ministry of Health
• Yukon - Department of Health and Social Services