However, the time may come when you will be too ill to express an opinion on your medical treatment. Unless you take legal steps to make your wishes clear, the type of treatment you receive will probably be decided by your medical team, possibly in consultation with your family. There are two legal documents you can prepare now which will help you maintain control over the kind of medical care you receive. These are a Living Will and an Enduring Power of Attorney for Health Care. Having HIV can mean that you will deal with a serious illness within the next few years, or even face death.
Death is a fact of life.
Being diagnosed with AIDS or HIV infection is not an immediate death sentence, but it can raise issues you may not have considered until now. As making legal decisions can be difficult, it is wise to not put them off until the last minute. Think about them, talk about them, and make arrangements while you are healthy. Sort out your personal papers, label them, and clearly mark anything that would not be obvious if you could not explain what it was. Keep all your papers in one place to help you to remember everything and, if necessary, have someone else sort things out.