Tips and Tricks for Coping With HIV

Being diagnosed with HIV can be a traumatic experience. Whether you're 15 or 55, the emotions that accompany an HIV diagnosis can be overwhelming -- as can be the millions of questions, small and large, that start shooting through your mind. Questions such as: How could this have happened to me? How will my life change? Who should I tell? Will anyone still love me? Will I have to take treatment for the rest of my life? In This Month in HIV, we've brought together four individuals to offer concrete tips for coping with HIV, whether you've just been diagnosed or you've been living with it for years. Our guests are: Dr. Robert Remien, a prominent HIV researcher and clinical psychologist based in New York City. His research focuses on mental health and support for people with HIV, including mixed-status couples and gay men. Larry Bryant, a semi-pro football player turned HIV-positive political activist. A 20-year survivor of HIV, Larry is now the national field organizer for the HIV advocacy group Housing Works in Washington, D.C. Sherri Lewis, who lives in Los Angeles and speaks out about HIV in her podcast series "Straight Girl in a Queer World," hosted by Here! TV, a gay television network. She's also a performer and writer who was diagnosed with HIV in 1987. Michael McColly, a Chicago-based author, writing instructor and yoga teacher. He recently published his memoir, The After-Death Room: Journey into Spiritual Activism. Michael tested positive for HIV in 1996.