Have you experienced any side effects from your treatment regimen?...Have you experienced any side effects from your treatment regimen? Share your experience and any tips for have for others to manage treatment side effects. (Remember, this is a place...reactions2repliesSide EffectsTreatment
Help with Drug Dependency...Since HIV is transmitted through the blood, behaviors that expose an individual to someone else’s blood can also transmit the virus. An example of this is injection drug use. Sharing...
Accessing Legal Support...There are a variety of reasons that an individual with HIV may need legal services. Some of these may be related directly to their HIV, while others may be unrelated...
Family Planning...Living with HIV does not have to impact an individual's ability to have children. Family planning, or more specifically, being able to make the choice on whether or not to...
HIV and Traveling...Although HIV is a chronic condition, treatment advances have made it possible to live a much longer life than ever before. Receiving an HIV diagnosis should not impact an individual’s...
Stigma Surrounding HIV...Since the first cases of HIV and AIDS were reported in the population, significant stigma was attached to them. Although this was decades ago, and some strides have been made...
Living with HIV...Life with HIV can bring along with challenges and new considerations, with several common HIV-related issues including the following. If you are living with HIV, the thought of disclosing, or...
Hepatitis C...Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood-borne virus (a virus in the bloodstream). Hepatitis C is one type of hepatitis virus. Other hepatitis viruses include hepatitis A and B, among others...
Kidney Disease...When an individual has kidney disease (also called renal disease), it means their kidneys are not working in the way that they should. Healthy kidneys are about the size of...
How Is Cancer Related to HIV?...Cancer comes from the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. These cells do not respond to regular cell signals that would normally tell them not to grow, replicate...
Who Treats Individuals with HIV?...Treating HIV, like any chronic condition, is a team effort. You may need to seek specific primary care providers or HIV specialists, along with other professionals (both in the medical...
Late Stage HIV (AIDS)...An individual progresses from acute infection when they are first infected, to clinical latency where HIV slowly replicates in their body. Clinical latency can last anywhere from two to fifteen...
Clinical Latency Stage...The second stage of HIV, after acute or primary stage, is called the clinical latency. This period may also be referred to as chronic HIV infection. After initial infection, HIV...
Early Stage HIV...An individual who is newly infected with HIV may show symptoms early on, and then have no symptoms for years after, depending on how quickly HIV progresses. The symptoms that...
Starting and Monitoring ART...Advances in HIV treatment over the past several decades have made HIV a manageable, chronic condition. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is used across the globe to suppress the virus, improve overall...
HIV Specific Laboratory Tests...Although an individual with HIV may need to undergo many laboratory tests to help guide their treatment and get more information on their health status, there are several tests that...
Types of HIV Tests...Since HIV symptoms are often non-specific, or not present at all, they are not reliable in determining if you have the virus. The only way to be certain of your...
Getting Tested...An HIV test checks if you have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that weakens your immune system. Having a weaker immune system makes it...
Rashes...A rash is any type of irritated skin. It can be red, inflamed, itchy, or painful. The rash might consist of raised bumps on the skin. Sometimes the bumps are...
Nutrition and Exercise...Healthy eating and exercise are important components of caring for our bodies. This is especially true when battling a chronic condition like HIV. Eating well and participating in regular physical...