Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...

La única forma de saber con seguridad si tiene el VIH es hacerse la prueba. En esta sección se responden algunas de las preguntas más comunes con relación a las pruebas del VIH, como las que tratan sobre los tipos de pruebas que hay disponibles, los lugares donde se pueden hacer y qué esperar cuando se la haga.

La profilaxis preexposición (o PrEP) es cuando las personas con un riesgo muy alto de contraer el VIH toman medicamentos diariamente para prevenir el VIH. La PrEP puede evitar que el VIH se afiance y se propague por todo el cuerpo. Cuando se toma diariamente, la PrEP es altamente efectiva para prevenir el VIH por el sexo o el uso de drogas inyectables. La PrEP es mucho menos efectiva cuando no se toma de manera consistente.

If you’ve been diagnosed with HIV, it means that you were exposed to the virus and a test has shown that you are now living with HIV in your body. Unlike some other viruses, the human body can’t get rid of HIV completely, even with treatment. So once you have HIV, you have it for life.

It is important that you start medical care and take medicine to treat HIV as soon as possible after diagnosis. This medicine is called antiretroviral therapy, or ART.

Taking HIV medicine as prescribed can make your viral load very low. This is called viral suppression—usually defined as having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood.

HIV treatment involves taking medicines that slow the progression of the virus in your body. HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, and the combination of drugs used to treat it is called antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Find HIV care service across the United States, including HIV medical care, housing assistance, and substance abuse and mental health services (from HIV.gov).

Can my HIV or my HIV treatment affect my diet and nutrition? Yes. People with HIV sometimes face issues that can affect their nutrition,

How can HIV impact my mental health? Almost every person faces mental health challenges at some point. Major stresses—like the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job, or moving—can have a major impact on mental health. Having a serious illness, like HIV, can be another source of major stress.

HIV-related stigma refer to negative beliefs, feelings and attitudes towards people living with HIV, their families, people who work with them (HIV service providers), and members of groups that have been heavily impacted by HIV, such as gay and bisexual men, homeless people, street youth, and mentally ill people.

Can I transmit HIV if I have an undetectable viral load? HIV medicine lowers the amount of virus (viral load) in your body, and taking it as prescribed can make your viral load undetectable.

Am I legally required to share my HIV status with others? Even though disclosing your HIV status may be uncomfortable, doing so gives you protection under the law, and allows others to make choices to protect themselves and give them peace of mind. In some states, there are laws that require you to share your HIV status with your sex and injection drug-use partners.

Understanding Care
Finding a health care teamexternal icon that is knowledgeable about HIV care is an important step in managing your care and treatment. Your HIV health care provider should lead your health care team. That person will help you determine which HIV medicines are best for you, prescribe antiretroviral therapy (ART), monitor your progress, and partner with you in managing your health. He or she can also help put you in touch with other types of providers who can address your needs. Your primary HIV health care provider may be a medical doctor (MD or DO), nurse practitioner (NP), or a physician assistant (PA).

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Knowing your HIV status gives you powerful information to keep you and your partner(s) healthy. This section answers some of the most common questions about HIV testing, including the types of tests available, where to get one, and what to expect when you get tested.

Today, more tools than ever are available to prevent HIV. You can use strategies such as abstinence (not having sex), limiting your number of sexual partners, never sharing needles, and using condoms the right way every time you have sex. You may also be able to take advantage of newer HIV prevention medicines such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Myths persist about how HIV is transmitted. This section provides the facts about HIV risk from different types of sex, injection drug use, and other activities.

View all of the clinical services offered at the Cabell-Huntington Health Department.

Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...

Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...

Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...

Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...

Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...

Cabell-Huntington Health Department clinic staff have been busy working many of the public health aspects of case investigation during COVID-19. As we continue to offer clinical services with a reduced number of staff, we have modified our schedule as follows. We...