A year today, Friday 27 January, after its launch, almost 3,000 people with HIV in the UK are part of myHIV, a groundbreaking online support system. This makes it the largest community of people with HIV in the UK, with people helping each other to manage their health and wellbeing.

To celebrate the success of these services and encourage even more people to join up, Terrence Higgins Trust is holding a monthly prize draw for members. The draw will be launched next week.

MyHIV is part of Life Plus, a suite of integrated online, face-to-face and telephone support services for people living with HIV and supports individuals’ everyday, non-clinical needs. Created by HIV and sexual health charity, Terrence Higgins Trust, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and people living with HIV, myHIV is an interactive online service, www.myhiv.org.uk, where people can register to access one-on-one or group peer support through online community forums, videos and stories, tailored health monitoring tools and information; online counselling and advice and one to one health trainer sessions.

New developments, one year on from the launch of Life Plus services:

• People are seeking confidential support from others living with HIV within hours of diagnosis, gaining information, advice and help with their emotions including how to live well with HIV, who to contact, how to manage medication and side effects and how to discuss HIV with partners. This reduces many of the anxieties and feelings of isolation that are often felt upon diagnosis and particularly in rural areas with little access to face-to-face support.
• Face to face support with regional health trainers is improving people’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Support with better understanding the condition, including its treatments and psychological impact, helping individuals’ monitor and manage their virus levels and holding group sessions to explore issues such as how to manage HIV in relationships, pregnancy and HIV and living with HIV into old age is helping motivate people to look after their health and feel more connected to people with HIV and specialists within their local communities.
• Online health trackers, medication and appointment reminders are helping people to effectively manage their treatment and healthcare and reduce their virus levels to improve their health.
• Terrence Higgins Trust is developing a new iPhone app to enable patients to access information, community forums health trackers offline. People will be able to update their clinic reminders, medication and health trackers offline, anywhere they are, to help understand their progress or ask clinicians the questions they would normally forget.

David, 33, is using the myHIV services: “The best thing I have ever done is joining the forums here, talking to people, making friends, asking questions, sharing your bad moments and your good ones. Active members are available almost 24 hours a day which means that there is always some to talk to. It feels like a safety net, a safe house that you know you could go to anytime you feel low, unsure, worried and happy. Whether sharing moments of joy or fear you know that someone is there caring for you."

Amelia, 52, says: “There is so much support and great advice here and even though I have been living with HIV for 19 years I am finding it an enormous help."

Steve, 55, said: "I’ve been diagnosed 25 years and myHIV is invaluable for me, living in a rural location. It's meant an end to years of isolation: people to bounce ideas off, helping people avoid the mistakes I made, learning of new mistakes not to make and, overall, support. It’s the biggest support group for people in the UK. I've done stuff this past year which I never would have done without the support of my friends at myHIV."

Genevieve Edwards, Terrence Higgins Trust’s Executive Director of Health Improvement said: “MyHIV works alongside clinical support and face to face care to give people with HIV 24 hour access to support and information wherever they are in the UK. It’s a huge success story, but we want to give every person with HIV the same chance to take more control of their own health and find out how to make the most of what, for many, will now be a full length life with the new treatments.”

For more information visit www.myhiv.org.uk

Notes to Editor

1. Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s largest HIV and sexual health charity with centres across England, Scotland and Wales. We're here to provide information and advice about HIV and sexual health and offer a range of services including sexual health checks, counselling and support groups. We campaign for a world where people with HIV live healthy lives, free from prejudice and discrimination, and we promote good sexual health as a right and reality for all. 
   
   Visit www.myhiv.org.uk, our new site for everyone living with HIV in the UK, for accredited information, self management tools, interactive web services and community forums. Terrence Higgins Trust relies on donations to deliver a wide range of services. To make a donation, or to find out about everything that we do visit www.tht.org.uk
   
2. Since its establishment in 1993 by founder Sir Elton John, the Elton John AIDS Foundation (UK) has grown from funding solely domestic programmes, to providing grants in 15 countries across 4 continents. To date we have raised over £91 million, which has been used to support more than 1,200 projects. Our funding has also helped to leverage another USD$355m for our programme partners, enabling them to reach millions of people infected, affected or at risk of HIV/AIDS.   
   
   EJAF’s mission is to provide focused and sustainable funding to frontline programmes that help to alleviate the physical, emotional and financial hardship of those living with, affected by or at risk of HIV/AIDS, and to continue the fight against this worldwide pandemic. www.ejaf.com