LCH-Sahir House Event Supports Women Living With HIV

L-R: Pauline Jelliman, Liz Foote
and Tracy Mannix from the
LCH Community HIV Service.

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Liverpool Community Health

Liverpool Community Health (LCH) NHS Trust’s HIV service and Sahir House recently hosted another successful female-only engagement event for women who are living with HIV.

Hosted on Friday 13 February by specialist HIV staff, this was the third event of its kind to be hosted in Merseyside, and was attended by over 50 women and professionals.

The event included a series of short interactive presentations, workshops and information stands providing help and advice on a broad range of issues relating to HIV, including contraception, managing the menopause, and anxiety and depression relating to self-esteem and sex.

As part of the event, two women shared their moving, personal stories about how they came to terms with having HIV, and of how they have learnt to overcome stigma and effectively manage aspects of their lives with support from the HIV team. Throughout the event, additional information and advice was also made available through a series of information stands, supported by health experts and counsellors.

Pauline Jelliman, Service Lead and Specialist Community HIV Nurse, explained: “This unique event was planned and delivered by LCH in collaboration with Sahir House, which is Merseyside’s HIV information and support Centre. Women living with HIV informed the organisations as to the event content and delivery.”

Marie Crofts, Deputy Director of Nursing of LCH, added: “At Liverpool Community Health, it is our aim to always provide high quality, flexible healthcare services which fully reflect and meet the needs of our local communities. The aim of this event was to support women with HIV in relation to sexual activity and sexual health. Being able to listen to some of our service users sharing their real life stories of living with HIV was a particularly powerful way of challenging some of the myths and prejudices that surround HIV.”

Liverpool Community Health now plans to host more events to help address this unmet need amongst women living with HIV in the near future.

If you would like to access more health advice or support on HIV, please contact the Liverpool Community Health HIV Service on 0151 295 8650, or contact Sahir House by calling 0151 237 3989 or by emailing info@sahir.uk.com.