‘Poz’ is a colloquial term that refers to people living with HIV (PLHIV). It is commonly used in many English-speaking countries, particularly by peer-based PLHIV organisations.
The name is a play on words that draws from two meanings of the word ‘positive’ in English:
- When something is positive, it is good, constructive, optimistic, confident, or desirable
- A person who is “HIV positive” is someone who has HIV
When ‘Poz’ is used to talk about PLHIV, it is meant in the spirit of empowerment and self-determination.
QoL is short for ‘quality of life’.
Together, PozQoL means good quality of life for people living with HIV.