Simon speaking to Terence Higgins Trust ahead of their 'Caring for a Generation' conference, 2017

“I’d been living in Camden for 16 years, but in 2015 I was made redundant, I was going through a divorce and had two cancer scares – so found myself homeless," said Simon. "I sofa surfed all over for 18 months, and then the day I was diagnosed with HIV was also the first day I slept on the street. “HIV, believe it or not, wasn’t the worst thing to happen to me that year – it was everything else that went around it – my housing, my mental health, my other health worries. “Medically I’m great now, I see my doctors regularly and have health check ups, but outside of that, my mental health and home life, it’s not always that great. For us, the first people growing older with HIV, we’re going into the unknown, and there is lot we all need to learn. “If it wasn’t for organisations like Terrence Higgins Trust, I’d be dead now – not because my HIV would have killed me, but because I would have killed me. "I know issues around depression, housing and finances, and stigma affect a lot of older people with HIV, so more health and social care professionals need the skills and knowledge of HIV so they can support us as we get older.” Speaking ahead of our 'Caring for a Generation' conference, 52 year-old Simon has shared his experiences of living with HIV in his 50s, from dealing with stigma to homelessness and financial issues. Thank you.