This section of the Employment and Living with HIV/AIDS Toolkit provides information to assist service providers in understanding issues related to employment and employment preparation for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Even as improvements in care have reduced other barriers, people living with HIV/AIDS still face unique challenges when it comes to employment. And as with other groups of people with challenges, coordination among services and service providers tends to lead to the best outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS who are considering employment.
On one hand, HIV treatments have advanced tremendously and continue to improve. This improved HIV healthcare has normalized the daily lives of many people living with HIV/AIDS. On the other hand, stigma and discrimination continue to be threats that the populations most at risk for HIV infection face every day.
It is important that service providers — including those not specifically focused on HIV/AIDS — grasp these issues in order to more effectively serve customers. This includes understanding the different types of service providers people living with HIV/AIDS may access and the tools and strategies available to them.
After reviewing this section, it may also be helpful for service providers to review the four stages that individuals living with HIV/AIDS who are considering work may go through.