• Talk to your doctor
• Where can I find more information about treatment?
• Share your story

If you have been diagnosed with HIV, seeking health care early and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help a person stay healthy. See a doctor, even if you feel well. If possible, see a doctor or health care provider who is familiar with treating people with HIV. Health care providers can inform you on what tests and drug treatments are right for you. There are many new drugs available that can help to slow down the damage that HIV does to the immune system. They can also advise you on other issues, like vaccines, as well as things to avoid, in order to stay healthy.

People sometimes have difficulties talking with their current doctor or health care provider when it comes to sexual health issues. In some cases this may reflect a worry that the provider will be judgmental or hard to talk to.  In other cases it might be that you feel your doctor-patient confidentiality may not be respected with your present provider. In either case, we encourage you to find a doctor or health care provider with whom you feel comfortable discussing your concerns.



Where can I find more information about treatment?
For more specific information about treatments and clinical trials, contact AIDSinfo in English & Spanish at (800) 448-0440.  For TTY users: (888) 480-3739. For international callers: 1-301-562-1098. Open Monday through Friday, 12pm to 5pm Eastern Time.

We also encourage you to contact your doctor or health care provider. Or you can call or visit your local health department or STD clinic for more information. To find a clinic or HIV-knowledgeable doctor near you, call the National STD Hotline at (800) 227-8922.



Share your story
Do you have an experience related to HIV that you are willing to share with others? Triumphs? Challenges? Please send your story to mystory@ashastd.org.

ASHA sincerely appreciates every submission and each is confidential and anonymous. It is ASHA's intent to collect these comments for use in our patient advocacy work, including potential publication. All submissions are property of ASHA and can be edited for length and clarity. Due to the large volume of emails, we regret that we cannot provide a response to each submission.

Please note: This email service cannot answer questions about HIV/AIDS. For any questions, please contact your health care provider or call the National STD/AIDS Hotline at (800)CDC-INFO.

Are you, or is someone you know, living with HIV/AIDS?

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