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...

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.