Working with HIV positive students
For the last year, we’ve been working on a system of support for HIV positive students.
Much of the excellent work undertaken by students’ unions in relation to HIV is based on sexual health prevention, support and advice. The reality, though, is that many students are already living with HIV and these students often need practical and emotional support and advice.
For these students, college and university can be an isolating experience. Students’ unions have often prioritised sexual health, disability officers can sometimes be confused about HIV and the issues associated with living as a positive student and the stigma of living with HIV causes day-to-day emotional and practical difficulties.
In addition, many HIV community support agencies are not well equipped to deal with students. Most are well versed with benefit systems, the rights of positive people at work and the lifestyles associated with living on benefits and working – but most do not appreciate the difficulties, stresses and strains of student life.
Student funding systems are convoluted for positive students – many of whom may be entitled to disabled students’ allowance and/or will be estranged from their families, furthering the complexity of their funding support.
Mentoring scheme
Disabled Students’ Conference 2006 discussed this issue and resolved to explore the potential of a mentoring scheme for positive students – by positive graduates. Those who have lived an experience are most likely to be experts in the situation.
For the last year, the NUS Disabled Students’ Campaign has explored this option with Dr. Andrew Bexley, a sexual health professional. In a pilot project, we established the real need for this work, the demand from positive students and students’ unions alike and the viability of a project of this nature. Watch out for more detailed conclusions in a report and briefing to be published soon.
No other organisation is currently working nationally with positive students, despite the very specific need of this demographic. We now need to source funding, explore mentoring accreditation and establish whether NUS, or another organisation, are best placed to undertake this work.
If you’ve got any comments, suggestions or personal experiences of living with HIV as a student, or working with positive students, and you’d like to feed into our evaluation of this project please contact us at disabled@nus.org.uk.
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