If you test positive for HIV, treatment should start immediately. Studies show that individuals who start treatment right away stay healthier longer and have a lower viral load. Viral load is the term used to describe the amount of HIV in your blood. If your viral load is lower you are less likely to transmit HIV to others.

Medication adherence means sticking to an HIV regimen—taking HIV medication exactly as prescribed. Side effects, stigma, and barriers to access all can make it difficult to stick to an HIV regimen, but HIV medications prevent HIV from multiplying, which protects the immune system and reduces the risk of drug resistance and HIV treatment failure.

Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) helps people with HIV stay healthy by providing access to HIV prescription medications to eligible applicants who are uninsured or do not have adequate prescription coverage. Visit FloridaADAP.org today to see if you qualify for help.

Having a stable living environment plays a major role in the health of people with HIV. The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program is a federally-funded initiative that helps people maintain stable housing, and have access to treatment and support services — which can all lead to better health.

In Florida, eleven regional agencies and six cities deliver HOPWA-funded housing services. If you need assistance to remain in your current housing or obtain new housing, have a conversation with your local HOPWA provider agency to find out if they can help you.

Depression and mental health issues can lower the quality of life for people with HIV and their families. Mental health issues can also affect participation in HIV care and treatment programs. The Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline can link you to services that address this.

Disclosing one’s HIV status is an extremely personal decision that people living with HIV face every day. Stigma occurs when others are prejudiced toward or discriminate against a person or group of people. Stigma heavily impacts personal and community prevention efforts, and can have an effect on whether or not someone feels comfortable enough to disclose their HIV status.

Practicing safer sex is important for everyone and particularly for HIV-positive individuals. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as herpes, human papillomavirus (HPV), syphilis, and even other strains of HIV can be more serious for people living with HIV and can have an effect on an already compromised immune system. It is critical to continue to practice safer sex even if you and your partner are both HIV-positive. It is possible to contract different strains of HIV, which may not respond to your current HIV medications. As new strain could also potentially be resistant to other HIV drugs, making it more difficult to treat.

Florida is ranked second in the United States for total pediatric AIDS cases and most HIV-positive infants and children acquire it through the birth process. As a result, Florida has specific laws in place that require health care providers to conduct routine prenatal screening for STDs, including HIV. Still, we continue to see babies born with HIV.

The Perinatal HIV Prevention Community is an educational platform that powers dialog to assure that all health care providers know and understand the laws related to HIV/STD testing and reporting in pregnancy and why this continues to be an important issue in our communities. We’ve designed the Perinatal Community to be simple to use. It offers a variety of resources related to testing and prevention of mother-to-child transmission and provides the necessary tools to help you make your facility proactive in the fight against HIV. Click here to learn more.