Say No to AIDS
SENSE OF
AGENCY


Having a sense of agency means having a feeling of control over your actions and their consequences. Agency is a sense that you have the ability to influence your own thoughts and behaviour. It also means that you feel competent to handle various situations. People who have a sense of agency also may have high self esteem.

It can be difficult to sometimes feel agency in one’s life amidst everything going on around you. In fact, after being diagnosed with HIV, some people begin to feel a strong sense of powerlessness. That feeling is quite normal. In those moments, it is important that you take care of your mental health, and give yourself intense self-compassion. That’s the first step to becoming an AGENT for yourself. The other processes involved in being an AGENT are listed below.

LIVING ITH HIV

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Why is having a sense of agency so important to PLHIV? Being an agent for yourself means that you can preserve your physical wellbeing. Please remember that you have to interact with different personnel at the treatment sites. If you are strong-willed and know of your needs, you can then communicate your treatment needs with confidence, adhere to your treatment regimen and be well on your way to becoming Undetectable.

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A - Ambition

You must know what you want for yourself. What are your dreams? What are your desires? What are your goals?

G - Growth

You must be committed to your growth and development. You can pursue many endeavors in various fields that can result in physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.

E - Energy

This may sound strange, but you need to have energy to be an agent for yourself. YOU need to motivate yourself with the will and fervor to push yourself to attain what is important to you. If you are unable to motivate yourself, you can also reach out to your support system,as well as your social worker at the treatment sites.

N - Non-Judgmental Attitude

You must accept yourself as you are and not judge yourself. PLHIV are worthy of love and belonging just as much as anyone else.

T - Tenacity

To have tenacity means that you are willing to persevere. This is connected to our point about Energy above. You have to be able to “push through” various circumstances and not give up when obstacles arrive.