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HIV and AIDS HIV and AIDS Basics

Choosing a Healthcare Provider for HIV Treatment

Author:

Brian Boyle, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Medically Reviewed On: March 31, 2006

Introduction
The Decisions
Choosing a Healthcare Provider
The Initial Visit
Conclusion
 

Introduction

If you are newly diagnosed with HIV infection, this may be a very difficult time for you. Many newly diagnosed patients have severe bouts of depression and anxiety. They simply don’t know where to turn or what they should do. This may lead to denial, procrastination, and avoidance. If you feel like this and have not taken steps to seek treatment, this understandable, but unfortunate behavior may be not only detrimental to your health and well being, but also may deny others the opportunity to be tested and treated or may lead to further spread of HIV through continuation of unsafe sex practices or needle sharing.
 

The Decisions

There are several decisions you have to make in order to be sure that you are doing what you can to:

  • prevent the spread of HIV
  • prevent the progression of your HIV disease to AIDS
  • avoid getting sick or perhaps even dying
If you are engaging in high-risk behaviors, the first decision you need to make is to stop engaging in these behaviors, as they may endanger others and cause them to become infected. This means that you must not have unprotected sex (a condom or dental dam are required at all times to prevent direct contact) and, if you use intravenous drugs, you must not share needles with other people. The people with whom you have had sex or shared needles in the past may or may not already be infected. You should consider informing them yourself of their exposure to HIV, but if you are unable to do so, you should contact your doctor or the health department so that the people with whom you have had sex or shared needles can be informed anonymously and then get tested. If you have children, they may also need to be tested, but you can discuss this with your doctor as well.
 

Choosing a Healthcare Provider

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