Meet
Ellie
Living with HIV since 2018
About Choose You
HIV care should fit into your life, not the other way around.
Choose You is about putting yourself first with the support of those around you. That starts with knowing what matters most to you. When you feel clear on those priorities, it becomes easier to have open, informed conversations between you and your healthcare team about what matters to you.
By helping you feel more prepared and confident to raise these topics, Choose You supports you to take an active role in decisions about your care and wellbeing. This is an important part of informed shared decision-making, where you and your healthcare team work together to make choices about your care. It helps ensure that decisions about your HIV care meet your medical needs and fit into your life, helping you to live your life to the full.
Real stories, practical guides and ways to find HIV support are all here, whenever you need them.
Real stories from the HIV community
Meet
Joshua
Living with HIV since 2015
Meet
Stephen
Living with HIV since 2006
Meet
Anita
Living with HIV since 1995
Where would
you like to start?
I want to make informed decisions about my care
Find out how to feel confident to raise what matters most to you with your healthcare team, understand your rights and look after your health and wellbeing.
I want to be there for someone living with HIV
Find out how to support someone you care about and learn more about HIV.
I want to connect with others and find support
Explore a directory of HIV organisations across the UK and Ireland.
Frequently asked questions
How does Choose You support people living with HIV?
Choose You brings together real stories, practical guides and a directory of HIV support organisations. Together, they help you put yourself first, feel clear on what matters to you and feel more confident in taking an active role in decisions about your HIV care and wellbeing.
Across the UK and Ireland, HIV / sexual health strategies share a common goal: not just to prevent new transmissions, but to support people with HIV to live well and help tackle stigma.1-5 Choose You supports that ambition by helping people feel more confident in conversations about their own care.
What is informed shared decision-making in HIV care?
There are two parts to informed shared decision-making. Being informed means having the information you need to feel prepared for conversations about your HIV care. Shared decision-making is a process where you and your healthcare team work together to make decisions about your treatment and care. It involves sharing information, discussing options, asking questions and considering what matters most to you, so that decisions reflect not only your medical needs but also what feels right for you.
What does U=U mean?
U=U stands for Undetectable equals Untransmittable. If you are on effective HIV treatment and your viral load is undetectable, you cannot pass HIV on to your sexual partners.6
Where can I find HIV support organisations in the UK and Ireland?
Choose You has a directory of HIV support organisations across the UK and Ireland, covering peer support, counselling, advocacy and more. Visit the HIV support organisations page to find one that is right for you.
What are my rights when it comes to HIV care?
You have the right to clear information, time to ask questions and space to talk about what matters to you, without pressure or judgement.7-11 Choose You has practical guides to help you prepare for appointments and get more from every conversation with your care team.
This campaign is endorsed and supported by:
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References
- Department of Health and Social Care. HIV Action Plan for England, 2025 to 2030. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hiv-action-plan-for-england-2025-to-2030/hiv-action-plan-for-england-2025-to-2030. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Healthy Ireland. National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035. Available at: https://www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/policy-information/national-sexual-health-strategy-2025-2035/. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Terrence Higgins Trust. Ending HIV Transmission in Scotland by 2030. Available at: https://tht.org.uk/news/ending-hiv-transmission-scotland-2030. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Gov.Wales. HIV Action Plan for Wales 2023-2026. Available at: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2023-03/hiv-action-plan-for-wales-2023-to-2026.pdf. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Department of Health Northern Ireland. Sexual Health Action Plan 2023-2026. Available at: https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/health/doh-sexual-health-action-plan_0.pdf. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Terrence Higgins Trust, 2024. Viral load and being undetectable. Available at: https://www.tht.org.uk/hiv/about-hiv/viral-load-and-being-undetectable. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Department of Health and Social Care (2023) ‘The NHS Constitution for England’. Updated 17 August 2023. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england/the-nhs-constitution-for-england. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Scottish Government (2026) ‘The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities’. Available at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/health-rights/patient-charter/the-charter-of-patient-rights-and-responsibilities. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- Hywel Dda University Health Board (n.d.) ‘Charter for improving people and community experience’. Available at: https://hduhb.nhs.wales/healthcare/services-and-teams/patient-support-services-complaints-feedback/charter-for-improving-people-and-community-experience/. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- The Victoria Practice (n.d.) ‘NHS patient rights’. Available at: https://www.thevictoriapractice.co.uk/about-us/practice-policies/nhs-patient-rights/. Last accessed on: October 2026.
- South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (2016) National Healthcare Charter: You and Your Health Service. Available at: https://www.sivuh.ie/patientsvisitors/patientscharter.html. Last accessed on: October 2026.