During the spring, Positiva Gruppen Syd has held ongoing meetings and dialogues with the Patient Education Center at Helsingborg Hospital and the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Helsingborg. The goal has been to develop network meetings and training sessions that strengthen knowledge, community, and support for people living with HIV. This is now becoming a reality with three new network meetings for women living with HIV, starting in October. The meetings provide a safe space where participants can share experiences, ask questions to nurses, and talk with patient supporters—peer mentors with personal experience of living with HIV. Participants also have the opportunity to influence the content according to their needs.
About the Meetings
Lisa Hansson, team leader and licensed nurse at the Hospital Library and Patient Education Center, says:
“Meeting others in the same situation, sharing experiences, gaining new knowledge, and realizing that you are not alone are recurring positive experiences. Healthcare staff are knowledgeable, but they do not know what it is like to live with a particular illness or diagnosis—that knowledge comes only from others in a similar situation. That is why this type of meeting is so important.”
This time, the meetings are specifically aimed at women, but the ambition is to organize more sessions for other groups in the future.
About Support Persons / Peer Mentors
Lisa Hansson also explains:
“The support person provides guidance based on their own experiences but is aware that each person’s experience is unique and adapts their approach accordingly. The support person acts as a complement to healthcare and collaborates with medical staff. Support persons affiliated with the Patient Education Center receive training, supervision, and are bound by confidentiality.”
Voices from the Collaboration
“This is a new and exciting approach where we, together with the Patient Education Center and Positiva Gruppen Syd, want to create a safe meeting place for women living with HIV,” says Pia Sundler, unit manager at Helsingborg Hospital.
As a patient organization for people living with HIV, we see this as a long-awaited example of how principles of person-centered care are put into practice. Patient involvement and peer support are central elements. Helsingborg’s Infectious Diseases Clinic, together with the Patient Education Center, are also the first in Skåne to start a peer support program specifically for women living with HIV, demonstrating how Region Skåne and the municipality work toward equitable access and inclusive care in practice.
“We are happy that the collaboration has led to concrete meetings where women can meet and exchange experiences. This is an important step toward increasing openness and reducing stigma,” says Christina Franzén, chairperson of Positiva Gruppen Syd.
For those interested in learning more about how Positiva Gruppen Syd works with peer support, read our methodology book Plusverket.
Dates and Time
Three meetings, starting in October
Location
Hospital Library and Patient Education Center, Helsingborg Hospital
Contact Persons
Sara Blomqvist, Infectious Diseases Clinic
Lisa Hansson, Patient Education Center (puc.helsingborg@skane.se)