Question: What would somebody who is thinking about disclosing his/her HIV positive status to close friends and family need to consider?

Answer: Making the decision to inform close friends and family about your HIV status can be very difficult for somebody who is HIV positive. There are many things to consider before doing so, as well as different emotions that you may need to work through. The decision to disclose can be at times scary, exhausting and liberating, and sometimes these emotions can be experienced all at once.

Although research has shown that support from family and friends is of tremendous benefit to somebody who is HIV positive, the process of disclosure itself can be very stressful. Somebody who is thinking about informing loved ones that he/she is HIV positive may have various questions: Who will I disclose to? How will people react? When is the best time to disclose? You are the best person to answer these questions for yourself, but the following pointers may help.