New videos on PEP and PrEP!
Education about HIV prevention is critical as we work to serve the communities disproportionately affected by HIV.
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Showing 71 posts tagged hiv
What People Living With HIV Want You To Know
“Once I began my medication I realized that not only was it very manageable but a relief, not having to worry about my health every minute of the day.”
“Most people don’t know the difference between HIV and AIDS. They assume that I have AIDS and I’m really really sick or that I have to take a bunch of pills every day. Most people don’t understand how far we’ve come with the science and that by taking one pill a day, I can live a happy, healthy life.”
“I deserve to be happy and healthy. And I am.”
“My life is fairly normal other than my status,” Elder said. “I sleep, wake up, workout, eat breakfast, go to work, attend comedy shows, kick back with friends, read books, laugh at cat videos, stargaze, hook up, date… I just happen to take a pill every morning that those who are negative do not. This pill allows me to live a long a fulfilling life and allows me to protect others from HIV.”
“People live in fear of disclosure, which creates isolation in their treatment, which fosters depression because living in secret with a chronic illness and fear being judged … it’s just not an environment that’s conducive for living with this disease.”
“I’ve lived openly with HIV ever since I found out I had it…I told everyone, even strangers, and kids were pretty decent about it, but adults sometimes were not.”
“I’m not glad I have it. But I am happy that I do know my status. Now that I know my status, I’m doing whatever it takes to protect myself and others.”
“The biggest way [HIV] manifests in my life is when something that is unrelated to HIV happens to me and I have to see a doctor. The doctors always bring it back to HIV. That kind of stuff will drive you crazy because, in the medical space, everything relates to the HIV and it shouldn’t.”
If the US wants to take the crisis of HIV in African American communities seriously, researchers and HIV advocates say they must treat prisoners with the same time-tested health practices that are used on the outside, which includes making condoms and PreP available and ensuring HIV-positive incarcerated people continue receiving their HIV treatment.
We Can’t End the HIV Crisis Unless We Get Serious About Sexual Health in Prisons via Broadly
Yep, there’s a pill to prevent HIV and it’s called PrEP. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily pill that reduces your risk of getting infected. When you use condoms along with PrEP, you get even more protection. And don’t forget to keep getting tested regularly for HIV.
Can you develop an STD without catching it from someone else?
Someone asked us:
Can you develop a std/sti without “catching” it, or having it passed down?
No, you can’t get an STD without catching it from someone. STDs are communicable infections. That’s a fancy way of saying they’re spread from one person to another, kind of like a cold.
Sex — including vaginal, anal, and oral sex — is the main way STDs travel from one person to another. That’s why using condoms and dental dams every time you have sex is a good idea. These barriers literally block germs from getting through.
But some STDs can be spread other ways, too. For example, HIV and Hepatitis B can both be spread from one person to another by sharing needles. HIV can also be spread to a baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. Scabies and public lice can be passed from one person to another from non-sexual behavior too, like sharing a towel or bed sheets with someone who has it.
Sex isn’t the only way STDs happen, but all STDs are passed from one person to another somehow. They don’t just pop up out of nowhere.
-Emily at Planned Parenthood
Trumpcare is callously threatening to block people with Medicaid from accessing care at Planned Parenthood — one of the nation’s leading HIV testing providers. The bill would derail the progress we’ve made and send us back to a time when it was nearly impossible for people living with HIV to get the care they needed.
Tracy Reese via Marie Claire
When it comes to STDs — including HIV — the sooner you get tested, the sooner you can get treated.
High-res
Getting tested for HIV is a basic part of staying healthy and taking control of your sex life — and it’s quick and easy, too. Your nearest Planned Parenthood health center offers HIV testing to people of all genders.