Give
HAND
a hand
A national initiativ
for healthy brains with hiv
Give HAND a Hand is a patient-driven initiative dedicated to strengthening understanding of how hiv and hiv treatment can affect the brain, and to advancing knowledge, assessment, and support for people living with neuro-hiv in Denmark. The initiative brings together patients, clinicians, and researchers around a shared ambition: to establish brain health as a natural and integral component of hiv care within infectious disease services.
Give HAND a Hand serves as an informed and credible patient voice for people living with hiv and long-term cognitive consequences. Through active participation in national and international collaborations, the initiative has contributed to both Danish and international work on brain health in hiv, including engagement with The Lancet HIV, the Danish National Knowledge Centre for Dementia, and REHPA, the Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care.
Give HAND a hand - the initiative focuses on
HAND - HIV Associated Neurocognitive Disorder — which encompasses changes in memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed experienced by a proportion of people living with hiv. While symptoms may be subtle or more pronounced, they can have significant implications for quality of life, employment, and social participation. Give HAND a Hand works to advance awareness, promote early identification, and support improved, evidence-based approaches to care for neuro-hiv in Denmark.
Brain Health in Older People Living with HIV – The Lancet HIV
In The Lancet HIV, a new international strategy is described to promote brain health among people living and ageing with hiv. The strategy has been developed through close collaboration between international researchers, clinicians, and the hiv community. Emerging evidence shows that people aged over 50 now constitute the majority of those living with hiv globally. The risk of all-cause dementia is up to 58% higher than in people without hiv, and many experience early age-related changes in brain function. The article presents an international framework to strengthen brain health through prevention, early identification, and treatment, built on collaboration between hiv communities, researchers, and clinicians.
Give HAND a Hand has contributed to the international work underpinning this article and supports the continued focus on brain health as a natural and integral part of hiv care. Our spokesperson, Paul W. Thomsen, is a co-author of the article.
HIV-Associated Cognitive Impairment – Danish National Knowledge Centre for Dementia
The Danish National Knowledge Centre for Dementia describes how hiv can affect the brain and lead to cognitive difficulties in some people living with hiv. The article provides an overview of symptoms, underlying mechanisms, and diagnostic approaches, and highlights the importance of early identification and specialised neurological assessment.
Give HAND a Hand supports the dissemination of knowledge on hiv-associated cognitive impairment and works to ensure greater attention to this area in both clinical care and follow-up. The initiative has taken part in initiating this work and has contributed to the article.
Hiv-associeret kognitiv svækkelse – Nationalt Videnscenter for Demens
Living a Life with HIV – REHPA
In the article “Living a Long Life with HIV”, REHPA focuses on the physical, psychological, and social consequences of ageing with hiv. The article describes how many long-term survivors experience lasting effects after decades of illness and treatment, and how rehabilitation, support, and sustained attention to quality of life become increasingly important over time.
Give HAND a Hand has contributed perspectives on brain health and long-term cognitive consequences as part of a broader understanding of what it means to live a long life with hiv. Our spokesperson, Paul W. Thomsen, was an initiator of this life-story project.
ndt langtidsoverlevere med aids:
Contact
My name is Paul W. Thomsen, and I am the initiator and spokesperson for Give HAND a Hand. I work at the intersection of lived experience, research, and community engagement to ensure that people living with hiv and long-term cognitive consequences are met with understanding, safety, and appropriate support — both in clinical care and in everyday life.
I am trained as a journalist from the Danish School of Journalism and have many years of experience in health communication and patient rights. I represent patients in the HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee of the Danish Medicines Council, have previously served as Vice Chair of the patientorganisation HIV-Denmark, and am trained as a body-oriented psychotherapist. Alongside my professional roles, I contribute as a lived experience researcher and community researcher, grounding knowledge development in real-world experience.
I founded the HAND group under the Danish Alzheimer’s Association, where we meet monthly in Copenhagen for cognitive activities, social connection, and shared meals in calm, supportive surroundings. You are always welcome to get in touch — whether you need help navigating the healthcare system, wish to reflect on your situation, or simply need a steady point of contact and a moment of clarity.
📞 +45 2991 3300