On International Women’s Day we celebrate women everywhere and the work being done to fight for gender equality and women’s empowerment. It’s also a time to celebrate women living with HIV and how far we’ve come in fighting for the rights and wellbeing of women living with HIV.

This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating change. Today, women living with HIV can live long and healthy lives on effective treatment, and gender-based health inequalities continue to be broken down. This is only possible through the activism and work of so many women living with HIV.

But stigma and health inequalities continue to have a significant impact on women living with HIV, and we must continue the fight to ensure that all women living with HIV can live well. 

With your help, Terrence Higgins Trust can continue to support women living with HIV, whether through pushing for change in healthcare settings, educating others through our London HIV Ambassador Programme, or our Common Bond peer support group, which is open to all women living with HIV.

Priya has been living with HIV since 2008. She was diagnosed in India after being given an HIV test during her pregnancy with her second child.

The diagnosis came as a huge shock to Priya and, as a result, the doctor refused to provide any further medical care, leaving Priya in immense distress during her sixth month of pregnancy.

After giving birth to her baby, Priya was advised not to breastfeed, so relied on infant formula. But when her baby fell sick, her paediatrician told her that bottle-feeding was worse than breastfeeding for mothers living with HIV. 

'I was left confused, agonised, and unsure of what to do. But with no clear guidance, I continued formula feeding.'

For women in the UK, the recent update in guidance from BHIVA regarding breast/chestfeeding is a welcome step in providing clarity on infant feeding for women living with HIV.

Today, Priya lives in the UK and is an ambassador on the London HIV Ambassador Programme, ran in collaboration between Terrence Higgins Trust and National AIDS Trust. By sharing her own experiences as a woman living with HIV both in the UK and India, Priya educates people across the health and care sector on the impact of stigma and health inequalities.

'Over the years, guidance might have evolved but education on HIV and infant feeding is vital to ensure that no mother faces the same discrimination and confusion I did. By sharing my story, I hope to bring about change, ensuring that all women receive the respect, support, and clear information they deserve.'

Emma was diagnosed with HIV at the start of her nursing degree, and at the time was stigmatised by other students and healthcare staff.

Some lecturers even discouraged her from continuing the course because of the impact her diagnosis had on her mental health, but she was determined to continue.

After initially struggling to speak up against ignorance and misinformation, Emma came to terms with her status and began pushing for change, particularly for women living with HIV.

'I didn’t know any other women who had HIV, and I had this overwhelming urge to take action, to make changes. It was a big moment of realisation—if this could happen to me, it could happen to others, and I needed to do something about it.'

Today, Emma is a mum of two who is open about her status, and an advocate for people living with HIV.

Our Common Bond group is an inclusive and safe space for all women living with HIV to learn from and connect with each other. The group is supported by our Living Well Coordinator, Julie, who champions the 'wonderfully unique network of women living with HIV'.

'As a Living Well Coordinator at Terrence Higgins Trust, it warms my heart to see the mutual support and diversity both in the Common Bond group and within the women’s space on My Community. It emphasises all that is important about being a women living with HIV, as they collectively stand together every day, not just on International Women’s Day.'

'My role is incredibly diverse, just like the people we support. I really do love my job, and I am humbled and privileged to be a part of what we do to help people live well with HIV, whether that’s helping them build their confidence, community, skills and knowledge, or just being a listening ear.'

This International Women’s Day, we celebrate all women living with HIV and the positive change that women have fought for. With your help, Terrence Higgins Trust can continue to support women living with HIV, through our specialist women’s groups and fighting gender-based health inequalities.