What Do I Do If I Am Diagnosed As Being HIV-Positive?

What Do I Do If I Am Diagnosed As Being HIV-Positive?

If you are diagnosed with HIV, you should do the following things—even if you don't feel sick:

• Find a healthcare provider who has experience treating HIV. The testing center can usually recommend someone.
• Get screened for other STIs and for TB. If you have HIV, these infections can cause serious health problems.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Smoking, drinking too much, or taking illegal drugs can weaken your immune system and allow HIV to increase in your body.
• Practice safer sex. Condoms are very effective in preventing HIV transmission when used correctly and consistently.
• Tell your partner or partners about your HIV status before you have any type of sexual contact with them (anal, oral, or vaginal) and don't share needles or syringes with anyone.

See AIDS.gov's Diagnosed with HIV and Staying Healthy with HIV sections for more information and resources.

If I Test Positive For HIV, Does That Mean I Have AIDS?

No. Being diagnosed with HIV does NOT mean you have AIDS. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of HIV disease. You get AIDS only after HIV has severely damaged your immune system. This is why it is so important to get treatment as soon as you test positive for HIV—early treatment can keep HIV under control and prevent it from developing into AIDS. For more information, see CDC's Basic Information about HIV and AIDS.

Will Other People Know My HIV Test Results & Status?

Your test results are protected by state and Federal privacy laws.

Whether anyone can know about your test results or your HIV status depends on what kind of test you take. There are two types of HIV tests—confidential tests and anonymous tests.

Most HIV tests are confidential tests. If you take a confidential HIV test, your name and other identifying information will be attached to your test results. The results will go in your medical record and may be shared with your healthcare providers and your insurance company. Otherwise, no one else has access to your HIV test results unless you tell them.

Some places still offer anonymous HIV tests. If you take an anonymous HIV test, nothing connects your test results to you. When you take the test, you will get a special number or code that allows you to get your results.

If you test positive for HIV, the testing site will report the results to your state health department and the CDC. All personally identifying information will be stripped out. Public health officials do not share this information with anyone else, including insurance companies.

Many states have moved away from anonymous tests because confidential tests help public health officials do a better job of keeping track of how many people have HIV and which areas of the country have the highest rates of HIV. This allows them to get resources to the areas that need them most.