Employers know that health doesn't split neatly into physical and mental. HIV is no exception. Mental and emotional well-being are important parts of whole-person health, and for many people, HIV can be a source of stress and anxiety.

That stress has consequences for care. Mental health challenges may make it harder to seek prevention services like PrEP, stay connected to care, or keep up with treatment routines. In one study of 100,000+ people living with HIV in the U.S., more than one in three experienced depression and about 28% had an anxiety disorder, rates well above those of the general population.

Your workforce includes people living with HIV and people who could benefit from HIV prevention, whether or not you know it. Supporting their mental well-being is part of supporting their health and their ability to show up fully at work.

Stigma Gets in the Way of Care

Stigma can affect both well-being and engagement in care. It shows up as misconceptions held by others, as self-stigma when people absorb negative messages about HIV, and as overlapping forms of discrimination that compound one another.

Each of these can create barriers to HIV testing, prevention, and treatment. People may delay getting tested, hesitate to start PrEP, or find it harder to stay in treatment.

Workplaces can help counter that. When leaders talk openly about HIV and mental health and point people to trusted resources, they signal that seeking care is normal and supported.

A New Resource From Gilead and Calm

Gilead Sciences, champion sponsor of U.S. Business Action to End HIV, has partnered with the mental health app Calm to make mindfulness resources available to people living with HIV and people who may need or want HIV prevention options like PrEP. Through the partnership, Gilead aims to increase awareness of accessible mental health resources and support a more holistic approach to health and wellness for people in the HIV community.

A new HIV blog on Calm's website features five free Calm mindfulness practices curated by Gilead. They include guided meditations and a movement practice focused on stress, grounding, relaxation, and connection:

• Emergency Calm: a three-minute practice to soothe the mind and body when stress feels overwhelming.
• Overcoming Negative Thinking: a five-minute session that uses breathing techniques to redirect anxious thoughts toward self-compassion.
• Back Into Your Body: a five-minute body scan for grounding in the present moment.
• Releasing Stress: a gentle five-minute movement practice to ease physical tension.
• Interconnectedness: an eight-minute meditation on the Zulu philosophy of Ubuntu, "I am because we are," and the strength people draw from connection.

The resources are optional and personal. Everyone's experience is different, so people can explore the practices at their own pace and choose what feels right for them.

How Employers Can Share These Resources

You don't need a new program to put these tools in front of your people. A few low-lift ways to start:

• Add the link to your next wellness or benefits newsletter, alongside a reminder about your employee assistance program and mental health benefits.
• Invite your employee resource groups to share it with their members.
• Include it in your World AIDS Day outreach on Dec. 1.
• Pair it with a reminder of what your health plan covers for HIV testing, PrEP, treatment, and mental health care.

Share it with your whole workforce. Offering resources to everyone, rather than to people you think may need them, protects privacy and keeps anyone from feeling singled out.

Visit the Gilead HIV x Calm blog to try the five practices, and let us know how you're sharing them with your teams at endhiv@healthaction.org.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.‍

*This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Please speak with a healthcare professional to address any medical needs. The content is also not intended for healthcare provider use, or those who prescribe medications.

About U.S. Business Action to End HIV

U.S. Business Action to End HIV was founded in 2022 by the Health Action Alliance, with support from ViiV Healthcare, to mobilize the private sector to help end HIV in the U.S. We offer free tools, resources, and events to help employers educate workers, fight stigma, improve access to HIV prevention and treatment services, and build connections to the communities that need it most.

Join the Coalition today.