PLWHA positive about change

People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has officially changed its name to Positive Life NSW to reflect changes in terminology and attitude.

“We changed the name to reflect the way HIV has changed over the last 10 years,” Positive Life president Scott Berry said.

“Partly it is about a more optimistic future, and also to recognise that there is more to people’s lives than just the virus, and our organisation needs to reflect that.

“The acronym PLWHA has often been off-putting and confusing for people, and many people with HIV wouldn’t know what it meant if you asked them, particularly women, and other people who aren’t so connected to us.

“We want to acknowledge the aspirations of people with HIV and we think the new name does that. For some people, living with HIV is an important term. So we have the tagline ‘The voice of people with HIV since 1988’ to go with the name Positive Life NSW.”

Reflecting a common shift in terminology, away from use of the term HIV/AIDS to just simply HIV, the new name takes a more positive and inclusive approach to the array of people living with HIV.

“We think that Positive Life reflects a more optimistic future for people with HIV and is also a challenge to us and to organisations that work with people with HIV to ensure that future is achieved,” Berry said.

“We also want to make sure that health, housing, finances, friends and relationships are the best they can be, for people experiencing ongoing poor health as well as for people who have just been diagnosed or who have been living with HIV for a longer time.”

For more information on Positive Life NSW visit www.positivelife.org.au. To contact Positive Life NSW phone 9361 6011 or freecall 1800 245 677.