Myriad doctors, nurses and case managers are doing what they can to help you navigate the complex world of HIV-related medical care, but you're sinking fast.

Acronyms. Medications. Treatment schedules. Healthcare costs. Ryan White funding. It's all really confusing, and you crave clarity.

That's where Positively Aware steps in.

The internationally renowned HIV/AIDS magazine has been delivering user-friendly information since the early 1980s, when it was founded by the Test Positive Aware Network ( TPAN ) .

"It was really important—especially as new medicine came out and there wasn't the Internet at that point in time—to disseminate information not only from the scientific perspective, but also the perspective of the user and the doctor," TPAN CEO Bill Farrand said. "It sort of brought all those pieces together."

Positively Aware operates with one simple goal: to help HIV-positive people take charge of their healthcare. Doctors, activists and journalists regularly donate articles; and readers can expect to learn about everything from mental and physical health to new medications and political developments.

"We take really complex information and break it down to the lay readers in terms they can understand … without dumbing it down," said Jeff Berry, TPAN's director of publications. "There's a really fine line."

Today, the glossy bimonthly boasts a circulation of 100,000 and stands out as the only major HIV-related journal published by a not-for-profit. But Berry, who's worked with TPAN since 1992, recalls humble beginnings.

"It started out as really just some mimeographed sheets of paper stapled together," he said. "People got all their information through print in one way or another, so we would put all the information in one source."

The black-and-white handout ( then called TPA News ) was distributed in TPAN's weekly meetings and quickly grew in popularity. Before long, TPAN had hired a dedicated staff, added color and increased circulation.

In the mid-1990s, a $500,000 grant took the fledgling publication national. TPA News became Positively Aware, and weekly distribution changed to monthly. Ten quarterly regional editions even brought localized information to cities such as Atlanta, Miami and Dallas.

"It went from a local Chicago agency-based newsletter to a legitimate national publication," Berry said.

While the change was exciting, it was hard to sustain with a small staff. Plus, the advent of the Internet would soon make monthly distribution unnecessary. After several redesigns, Positively Aware eventually settled into its current form: a bimonthly magazine that focuses on in-depth, high-quality reporting.

Most issues are loosely centered on a common theme. A spring 2011 release, for instance, focused exclusively on stigma, discrimination and barriers to care. And every two years, the magazine releases its acclaimed HIV 101 issue, which is geared toward those who are newly diagnosed.

"The challenge of making that basic information something that is also valuable to somebody who's been positive for 20 years is an exciting thing to do for us," said Sue Saltmarsh, copy editor. "I believe we manage to do it."

The annual drug guide is another educative staple. Every year, Positively Aware partners with pharmaceutical companies to bring readers the latest in HIV drug developments. Articles discuss side effects and payment plans, while a pullout drug chart offers concise descriptions ( dosage, food restrictions ) of each leading medication.

The in-demand laminated chart can be found in doctors' and case managers' offices across the country.

" [ Our readers include ] everyone from folks who are incarcerated to physicians, researchers, social workers and regular people who are living with AIDS," Saltmarsh said. "We really do appeal to a wide range of people."

Part of that appeal, Berry said, is the magazine's ability to reinvent.

"It says a lot that we're still around, to be honest," Berry said. "Magazines are tough these days. Print publications have gone through a lot of challenges in recent years [ trying to figure out ] how to keep them viable. Even though we're not-for-profit, we still have to break even."

In 2010, Rick Guasco ( formerly of The Advocate ) signed on as Positively Aware's art director. Guasco had worked for TPAN in the mid-1990s, and he brought home with him an ambitious redesign plan.

The clean, modern reimaging, which features vibrant photography and a clutter-free layout, has been the magazine's most successful to date.

"He's really taken it to a whole new level," Berry said. "It was a conscious decision on our part to streamline and just make the information more accessible to people."

Positively Aware now offers free PDF versions of each issue online—not to mention a bevvy of exclusive web content.

"People access and process information in different ways, and I don't think one way is the right way," Berry said. "I just think the more ways we can get the information out there, the better. We want to repurpose it, present it, and give people options."

Just don't expect Positively Aware to go all-web anytime soon.

"I still think there's a great need out there [ for print copies ] ," Berry said. "Many of our readers are incarcerated, and they have no access to the Internet. There are also a lot of people who are in transition … who might be in a halfway house, or they use dial-up [ modems ] , or they're just older and don't want to read things online."

Bringing people information on their level is what Positively Aware is all about.

"In many cases this is life-affecting—if not life-changing—information," Saltmarsh said. "If it's in a form that people can't understand or a form that alienates them, they're not going to get the information they need … . We empower people."

To order copies of the magazine, call 773-989-9400 or email distribution@tpan.com . For more information about TPAN and Positively Aware, visit www.tpan.com and www.positivelyaware.com .

This story is part of the Local Reporting Initiative, supported in part by The Chicago Community Trust.