This is a professional support process that helps individuals living with HIV/AIDS to cope with the medical, emotional, psychological, and social challenges of the condition while ensuring they adhere to treatment and live healthy, productive lives. HIV and AIDS Management Counselling helps people living with HIV maintain physical health, emotional stability, and social wellbeing, while also supporting them to prevent new infections in the community.

It goes beyond just giving information; it provides emotional support, guidance, and skills that enable clients to:

• Build coping strategies for stress, depression, and anxiety.
• Reduce risky behaviours and prevent further transmission of HIV.
• Strengthen family and social relationships, including safe disclosure.
• Accept their HIV status and reduce feelings of fear, denial, or stigma.
• Access other services such as nutrition support, reproductive health, or legal aid.
• Learn how to manage side effects, opportunistic infections, and lifestyle changes.
• Understand and follow medical treatment (especially Antiretroviral Therapy- ART).

• HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
• It is a virus that attacks and weakens the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 (T-helper) cells, which fight infections.
• Over time, if untreated, HIV reduces the body’s ability to fight diseases and infections.
• HIV is transmitted through:
  • Transfusion of infected blood.
  • Unprotected sex with an infected person.
  • Sharing contaminated needles or sharp objects.
  • From mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

• AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
• It is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.
• At this stage, the immune system is badly damaged, and the body becomes vulnerable to opportunistic infections (like TB, pneumonia, and cancers).
• Not everyone with HIV develops AIDS; effective treatment (ART) can stop HIV from progressing to AIDS.

• HIV = the virus that causes infection.
• AIDS = the condition/disease stage that develops if HIV is not treated.

• A discordant couple refers to a relationship where one partner is HIV-positive and the other is HIV-negative. Such couples face a higher risk of HIV transmission if preventive measures are not taken, which makes counselling and medical support very important.
• During counselling, the therapist guides them on safe sexual practices such as consistent condom use, the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) for the HIV-negative partner, and the importance of the HIV-positive partner starting and adhering to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) to achieve viral suppression.
• Counselling also addresses emotional challenges, disclosure, trust, and family planning, ensuring that the couple can maintain a healthy, supportive relationship and even have HIV-negative children while managing the risk of transmission.

People with Risky Sexual Behaviour

• Having multiple sexual partners.
• Having unprotected sex (without a condom).
• Engaging in sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs (reduced judgment).

Key Populations at Higher Risk

• Sex workers (and their clients).
• Men who have Sex with Men (MSM).
• People who inject drugs (PWID) and share needles.
• Prisoners and incarcerated people (due to overcrowding, unsafe sex, and limited healthcare).

Biological & Health-Related Risks

• Uncircumcised men (higher risk of heterosexual HIV acquisition).
• People with untreated sexually transmitted infections (STIs) - sores/infections make it easier for HIV to enter the body.
• Babies born to HIV-positive mothers if no PMTCT (Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission) is done.

Social & Gender Factors

• People experiencing sexual violence or coercion.
• Adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa face a higher risk due to gender inequality, poverty, and early marriages.

Healthcare-Related Risks (if safety measures fail)

• Receiving unsafe blood transfusions (rare today due to screening).
• Sharing unsterilized medical equipment or sharp objects (e.g., razors, tattoos, piercings).

Prevention focuses on reducing the spread of HIV and protecting those at risk.

• Condom Promotion and Distribution: For safer sex.
• Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): For people at high risk of infection.
• Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Reduces risk of infection in men.
• Management of STIs: Treating other infections lowers HIV transmission risk.
• HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC): Encourages early diagnosis and risk reduction.
• Awareness and Education: Creating knowledge on HIV transmission and safer sexual practices.
• Behaviour Change Programs: Encouraging abstinence, faithfulness, and reduced risky behaviours.
• Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT): HIV testing in pregnancy and treatment to protect babies.

Management involves helping people living with HIV to live longer and healthier lives.

• Nutrition & Lifestyle Support: Healthy living to boost immunity
• Monitoring & Follow-up: Regular viral load testing and clinic visits.
• Adherence Support: Counsellors help clients remain consistent with ART.
• Treatment of Opportunistic Infections: Such as TB and fungal infections.
• Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): Lifelong medication that suppresses the virus.
• Psychosocial Support: Peer groups and family involvement to reduce stigma and isolation.
• Integration of Care: Linking HIV care with reproductive health, TB services, and mental health.

Main Treatment – Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)

• ART is the standard treatment for HIV.
• It uses a combination of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to suppress the virus in the body.
• Goal: reduce the viral load to undetectable levels, which:
  • Stops progression to AIDS.
  • Strengthens the immune system.
  • Prevents opportunistic infections.
  • Prevents transmission to others (Undetectable = Un-transmittable, “U=U”).

Opportunistic Infections (OIs) Management

HIV weakens immunity, making the body prone to infections. Treatment includes:

• Antibiotics/antifungals/antivirals for infections like TB, pneumonia, or candidiasis.
• Preventive therapy (TB prevention).

Supportive Treatment

• Nutritional support: A Balanced diet strengthens immunity and supports ART.
• Lifestyle changes: Avoiding alcohol, smoking, and drug abuse; regular exercise.
• Mental health care: Counselling, support groups, and psychiatric care for depression or anxiety.

Monitoring and Follow-Up

• CD4 count: To monitor immune strength.
• Viral load testing: To check if ART is working.
• Regular clinic visits: To detect side effects, adjust drugs, and provide adherence support.

Special Considerations

• Co-infections (TB, Hepatitis): Integrated treatment plans are given.
• Drug resistance management: If one ART combination fails, second-line or third-line regimens are prescribed.
• Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT): HIV-positive pregnant women take ART to protect the baby during pregnancy, delivery, and breastfeeding.

Provides versatile counselling to our clients within the county and in the Global space at the Online/Virtual Center, which is open from 6.00 AM to Midnight every day of the week. This dynamic center allows our Global clients to equally access therapy services from their country of residence, and for the other clients that treasure privacy to equally access therapy on or out of camera. However, for those around Nairobi, the Capital City of Kenya, we have a Physical Office for you in Nairobi, Upper Hill- Kenya Medical Association (KAM) Center. The Physical Center is open from 7.00 AM to 7.00 PM to accommodate those of you who are working.

The cost for virtual and physical therapy is the same, and our client can interchange the model without any penalty. The therapy session can be One-on-One, Joint/Couple, or Group therapy. We are a prepaid honest center, and once payment is made, it is reserved for a therapy session. It does not matter how long the client takes to be available; you cannot lose your money while in our system. Please take time and read our terms and conditions, to understand important parameters like session cancellation is done within 24 hours, and once payment is made for a therapy session, it cannot be refunded, but should be used for a therapy session only.

We have professional counsellors trained and licensed to provide all forms of therapy, but with expertise in stress management therapy. With their support, you will learn your triggers to stress, ways of managing the stress, and skills to manage frustration and coping mechanisms. Your therapist will provide a safe space to catharsis (vent out); help you to develop coping strategies, reshape your thinking patterns, improve your relationship, performance and address the issue at hand better. Book a therapy session and find a mental wellness support and personal therapist to walk and guide you to manage that stress, which is interfering with your life. Do not share your story in the wrong places and with the wrong people; they do not care about you. Come and Share with a Counsellor at our Center, At Share We Care. Come and Share with a Counsellor at our Center, At Share We Care.

You can use Call, SMS, or WhatsApp, using any of the two official lines provided below at the contact us. In case you miss us using one medium, especially the call, use SMS or WhatsApp Chat, and we will promptly respond. You can access our services through our official email, and the administrator will escalate your request to the client manager for action.