We provide person-centred treatment and care to people who are affected by HIV in Medway and east Kent. Your GP or another health professional can refer you, or you can refer yourself if it’s easier for you.
You can expect a completely confidential service from us. Our aim is to make sure everyone we look after is listened to and helped to live well with HIV.
If you want to find out your status, testing for HIV is free, quick and easy.
Visit SH.UK to order a free self-sampling test kit. Your kit will be delivered in plain packaging directly to you or visit one of our clinics. Find your nearest clinic in Medway or Kent or contact the Sexual Health Service for more information and support.
Living with HIV
Modern treatment means people with HIV can enjoy long, healthy lives.
Once you are on effective medication and HIV becomes undetectable in your blood, you cannot pass the virus to others.
Find out more about living well with HIV including staying healthy or having a baby from the Terence Higgins Trust.
What we can support with
We can:
- discuss and assess your physical and mental health needs
- guide you to find and provide an effective treatment for HIV (antiretroviral drugs)
- offer advice on diet, lifestyle, smoking, drug and alcohol use
- offer advice on social issues such as housing, immigration and benefits
- talk about your mood and help you to overcome loneliness, depression, anxiety or other difficulties
- talk about your sexual health, offer testing for sexually-transmitted infections and advise you on relationships, sexual problems and pregnancy.
Talking together virtual support group and one-to-one peer support
Talking together is a friendly group, set up and run by people with HIV. This is a confidential group and very welcoming to new members who live in Kent or Medway. Come along, have a chat and get advice and support if you need it. The group meets on the first Tuesday of each month.
You can also talk one-to-one with a HIV peer supporter. This is someone who is living with HIV themselves who has been trained to offer support to others.
You can hear from some of the members of the group below, some of their names have been changed.
Ask your KCHFT nurse or doctor for more information, or to join the group contact:
kentchft.talkingtogether@nhs.net
Other sources of support
The following organisations offer support to people affected by HIV.
- Positively UK
www.positivelyuk.org
A UK organisation which aims to protect the health and well-being of people living with HIV by providing tailored peer support, promoting positive attitudes and equitable access to health for people living with HIV. - Body and Soul
www.bodyandsoulcharity.org.uk
A charity that has a focus in providing support for children, young people and families affected by HIV. They provide support programmes divided by age for children, teenagers and adults. - Terrence Higgins Trust
www.tht.org.uk
Offer a range of online and offline services for people living with HUV, whether newly diagnosed or living with HIV for decades. - iBase
www.i-base.info
i-Base is a treatment activist group committed to providing up to date information about HIV treatment to HIV positive people and to health care professionals. They produce lots of guides on HIV treatment in easy to understand language. - NAM aidsmap
www.aidsmap.com
A charity based in the UK who aim to provide independent, clear and accurate information on HIV.
Contact us
We're really sorry but we are temporarily unable to offer the option to contact our sexual health service by text or online chat.
We're working hard to get this up and running again. You can still contact us by phone (you may find you have to wait a bit longer than usual) or email.
Before you call, can we help?
Testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) In Kent / In Medway
Contraception You are now able to start and renew oral contraception from some local pharmacies for free and without an appointment find your nearest one. If you’re over 16 and would like to get started on the contraceptive coil, implant, patch or ring check out your options here. Under 30s can get free contraception.
Relationship support Get advice and support on relationships.
Conversations with the Sexual Health Central Access Team are confidential but are recorded for quality purposes. You must be aged 13 years or older to use this service.
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