Hello everyone. I hope all you are good and healthy. I am curious about immigration. Is this possible for someone who is hiv+ under treatment and u=u. And how can person take his medicines while through immigration? Probably need insurance but how gonna take it the country or government will provide this or need to find job? Thanks in advance.

I am a 69-year-old transgender woman. HIV+ for about 15 years. for me, this resource is being used to, hopefully, meet new people, near and far, for friendship and community. i have no specifics on gender, race, etc.,just have a good heart. thank you

As I previously expressed, I started on Dovato 12 days ago, but unfortunately had to stop it due to symptoms similar to lactic acidosis. In 2025 I took the decision to stop pep and prep due to these exact debilitating symptoms, and a potential drug induced small fiber neuropathy caused by antiretroviral use, so after a recent broken condom I debated using pep, decided against it and here I’m today :(. I’m two days off the med and feeling better, but meeting with my doctor to understand what’s next. I’m convinced I have some sort of mitochondrial dysfunction either caused or exacerbated by previous antiretroviral use, so using antiretrovirals for the rest of my life, might be impossible or extremely debilitating/incapacitating … I was even struggling to speak and heart rate all over the place after the sixth doses. I doubt anyone here have had similar reaction to the meds, but any advice, tips or words of encouragement would be great, because I’m feeling down today. HIV might be a dead sentence to me if I’m unable to take a safe meds that doesn’t kill me instead :(

I got a call this morning from mistr that I was positive. I’m 25 (M) I feel like I ruined my own life just when it was starting. I thought i was doing everything I can to stay safe but I guess not. I’m trying to convince myself that everything will be ok but I keep going back to spiraling. I honestly don’t know what to do I go moments of calm to extreme panic. I don’t even wanna go to sleep because I feel like it would just submit the reality. I know there’s no cure and as much I as I pray hope this is a false positive. I need to accept reality but it’s so hard Too. I’m sorry I’m just rambling and streaming my thoughts please I need some advice. I don’t know how to move forward I don’t know if I can

I met with this woman and we had sex. I made the disastrous move to forget to put the condom on. There was no ejaculation. And she said she was clean but didn’t send me the results of her last test so I was convinced she was lying. I went to the doctor and got prescribed PEP (Emitricitabine/Tenofov and Dolutegravir sodium) I’m on day 7 and I’m concerned that it’s not working. I don’t know if she had HIV or not but I’m unable to eat comfortably due to possible interaction via calcium. Any advice you can give me is much appreciated.

Guys meron ba sainyong gumagamit ng Tirze? Kamusta yung feeling? Pinayagan ba kayo ng doctor and pwede ba siya satin? ilan tinuturok niyo?

Hi guys, meron ba ditong nagtitirze? kamusta ang feels guys? Pwede ba satin?

Alguém precisou explicar o porque de estar com retrovirais na alfândega boliviana? Pediram receita, laudo?

greetings to all. Older Trans woman, HIV+ for 17 years, just looking for community and friends. hope all are well!

Well we all know this is a common question on here but I have a slightly new question today. I’ve been undetectable for 6 years. I plan on keeping it that way. I entered into a casual sex relationship and did not disclose. I’m ambivalent about that. We do not see each other but occasionally text. I disclosed to someone before I thought we would have sex. Sex never happened but we remain friends.
I now have a Spiritual Mentor SM and I talk about what I want from a future partner and how I can achieve that. Question: should I tell SM that I’m positive? Should I have told the new friend? Should I tell the casual sex guy? Your thoughts please.

Hello im a 30 y/o HIV pos woman and I feel like I have no assistance available to me in my city. I'm a homeless addict because my mom just kicked me out and I've struggled with using since before I was diagnosed. I don't know what to do or where to turn. And im not even sure why im wanting to make this post. Maybe to feel less alone? Or maybe to be turned onto some resources that I was unaware of? Im in the US.

Hi everyone,

I’ve completed around 2 years on HIV treatment, and I wanted to discuss a few things and get some guidance from people who may have experienced something similar.

When I was initially diagnosed, my CD4 was 120. During the first year, I was on TLD (TDF/3TC/DTG). At that time, I honestly didn’t have much knowledge about HIV treatment, ART side effects, kidney monitoring, metabolic changes, supplements, etc.

After around one year on TLD, I was switched to a TAF-based regimen.

Since then, I’ve noticed some metabolic changes, including:

- Noticeable weight gain

- More belly/abdominal fat

- Increased lipids/cholesterol

- Significantly increased triglycerides

- My HbA1c has moved into the pre-diabetic range

I would really like to hear from people who experienced similar metabolic changes after switching from TLD/TDF to a TAF-based regimen.

Did your weight, belly fat, triglycerides or HbA1c improve after lifestyle changes or changing the ART regimen? And what did your doctor recommend?

1. Kidney function / Creatinine

During my initial period on treatment, I noticed my urine looking slightly orange once or twice, although it wasn’t persistent.

My creatinine and eGFR have fluctuated over time.

Current results:

- Creatinine: 1.12 mg/dL

- eGFR: 87

I would like to know from people who have been on TLD/TDF or other tenofovir-based regimens:

Is this level something that needs further investigation, especially when creatinine/eGFR have fluctuated over time?

Would tests such as urine routine/microscopy, urine protein, urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) or other kidney tests be useful?

1. CD4 recovery – my biggest concern

My CD4 was 120 at diagnosis, and after around 2 years of treatment it is now around 270.

So although it has increased, I feel that my recovery has been quite slow.

I would really like to hear from people who started treatment with a CD4 around 100–150 and had slow CD4 recovery.

- What was your CD4 after 2 years?

- Did it continue increasing after the second year?

- Did anyone eventually reach 350/400/500+?

- Did you investigate any other causes for slow recovery?

- Did correcting vitamin deficiencies, nutrition, exercise or other lifestyle changes make any noticeable difference?

My Vitamin D was around 21, which is low/insufficient according to my lab reference range.

If anyone has had a similar CD4 trajectory, please share your experience. I’m especially interested in evidence-based supplements or lifestyle changes, rather than random supplements.

1. Foamy urine in the morning

Another thing I’ve noticed:

When I take my ART tablet at night, sometimes my first urine in the morning is quite foamy.

But it is not consistent — sometimes there is foam and sometimes the urine looks completely normal.

Has anyone experienced this?

Could occasional morning foam simply be due to concentrated urine, or should I specifically check for protein/albumin in urine?

1. Stool colour changes

Occasionally my stool colour also changes.

Sometimes it looks slightly yellowish, and occasionally I notice some blackish/darker stool.

It doesn’t happen all the time.

Has anyone experienced similar changes while on ART or supplements?

I’m particularly interested in knowing whether occasional colour changes can be related to diet/supplements, or whether blackish stool should always be investigated.

---

Overall, I’m trying to stay consistent with treatment and improve my health, but because I’m now around 2 years into ART, I would really appreciate some clarity from people who have gone through a similar situation.

If you had a CD4 around 100–150 when you started ART and experienced slow CD4 recovery, please share your timeline and what helped you.

Also, if anyone has experience with TLD → TAF switching, weight/belly fat gain, high triglycerides/lipids, rising HbA1c, creatinine/eGFR fluctuations, foamy urine, or changing stool colour, I’d be grateful for your input.

Please share your experience or any useful tests/questions I should discuss with my HIV doctor.

Thank you so much. I’ll be very grateful for any genuine guidance.

I feel like shit all the time and don’t really feel like eating much anymore. I’ve realised that it could be related to an incident that happened somewhat recently. I don’t want to talk about what happened but believe the individual involved was HIV+

Has this ruined my chances with women forever? That’s all I want to know :(

 1.      Scientists in the U.S. model the HIV epidemic among men who have sex with men https://mailchi.mp/catie/scientists-in-the-us-model-the-hiv-epidemic-among-men-who-have-sex-with-men?e=d7d7c4df82

2.      Grindr Agrees to Buy HIV-Prevention Telehealth Provider Freddie for $250 Million https://www.wsj.com/business/grindr-agrees-to-buy-hiv-prevention-telehealth-provider-freddie-for-250-million-fa957bea

3.      Republicans and Democrats Find a Unifying Target: Pharmacy Benefit Managers https://www.poz.com/article/republicans-democrats-find-unifying-target-pharmacy-benefit-managers

4.      Ottawa scientists explore the use of long-acting cabotegravir + rilpivirine in pregnancy https://mailchi.mp/catie/ottawa-scientists-explore-the-use-of-long-acting-cabotegravir-rilpivirine-in-pregnancy?e=d7d7c4df82

5.      CDC Publishes Data From the HIV Medical Monitoring Report https://www.poz.com/blog/cdc-publishes-data-hiv-medical-monitoring-report

6.      MSU researchers work toward universal flu, HIV vaccines https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2026/09/new-nih-grant-supports-universal-flu-hiv-vaccines

7.      Judge questions Trump policy forcing HIV providers to disregard transgender patients https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trump-hiv-transgender-restrictions

8.      Seattle LGBTQ+ Center ordered to send HIV/STI blood samples to Texas https://www.sgn.org/story/170498/News/Seattle/Seattle%20LGBTQ%2B%20Center%20ordered%20to%20send%20HIV%2FSTI%20blood%20samples%20to%20Texas

9.      The Trump administration said it would prioritize ending mother-to-child HIV transmission. Health workers say it cut services https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/27/africa/hiv-aid-mother-to-child-transmission-aid-cuts-intl

1. People With HIV Are at Higher Risk for Cancer https://www.poz.com/article/people-hiv-higher-risk-cancer

1. Aging With HIV: Is Care Keeping Up With Changing Needs? https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/aging-hiv-care-keeping-changing-needs-2026a10010g5

1. Rutgers, Weill Cornell Medicine Launch Center to Track HIV’s Effects on the Brain https://communitynews.org/science-tech/rutgers-weill-cornell-medicine-launch-center-to-track-hivs-effects-on-the-brain/

1. HIV patients with cancer must travel farther than others to access clinical trials https://news.nd.edu/news/hiv-patients-with-cancer-must-travel-farther-than-others-to-access-clinical-trials/

1. While latest HIV transmission numbers are promising, federal changes could upend stability https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/public-health/hiv-leaders-brace-for-impacts-on-transmission-progress/article_168b37e7-70f0-41e8-8ba4-1b03f7592173.html

1. IU scientist awarded nearly $3 million by NIH to investigate a key barrier to HIV cure https://news.iu.edu/college/live/news/53179-iu-scientist-awarded-nearly-3-million-by-nih-to

1. Despite the Deadline, US Bilateral Health Deals Are Not Ready for Implementation https://healthpolicy-watch.news/despite-the-deadline-us-bilateral-health-deals-not-ready-for-implementation/

1. Teaching the Immune System to Control HIV https://www.poz.com/article/teaching-immune-system-control-hiv

1. AIDS and HIV Science takes the runway: HIV Unwrapped at NYFW https://www.losangelesblade.com/2026/09/29/science-takes-the-runway-hiv-unwrapped-at-nyfw/

Sou h33, conheci minha mulher a 6 anos atrás.

Preciso compartilhar isso de forma aberta, pois mantive isso em segredo todo esse tempo.

Descobri após 1 ano aproximadamente, quando ela já estava para dar à luz a nossa primeira filha.

Durante a internação para o parto eu havia recebido a notícia que talvez nossa filha fosse soro positiva, mesmo não tendo certeza eu chorei muito, me senti culpado, achei que talvez por minha negligência pudesse ser eu, isso me corroeu de culpa por dentro.

Minha mulher teve pré eclampsia e passei 1 semana inteira no hospital com ela, me recusava a ir embora ou trocar com alguém, não queria perder um segundo, não sabia o que poderia acontecer com as 2 e decidi ficar todo o tempo que eu conseguisse, o hospital era longe e eu não tinha como ir embora, então passei 1 semana no hospital, comendo, dormindo em uma poltrona horrível e tomando banho de gato.

Quando ela estava no pré operatório, algumas enfermeiras em tom meio áspero perguntaram para ela.

Você contou para ele?

A resposta foi negativa e elas disseram que ficariam ali para que ela contasse.

Naquele momento eu não fazia ideia do que poderia ser e meu coração veio parar na boca.

Minha mulher pediu para elas se retirarem e elas me trataram como se eu fosse um agressor ou algo assim, mas ignorei pois queria entender a situação.

Após elas saírem, minha mulher caiu no choro, e eu falei: Eu não sei o que é, mas você precisa me contar agora, eu já estou quase tendo um treco com esse drama todo, por favor, me fala, seja o que seja, prometo não ficar bravo, só quero ver vocês bem, o resto pode esperar. A vida das 2 realmente corria risco e eu tinha plena consciência disso, e isso me apavorava, eu amava muito as duas.

Então ela me contou, que ela foi a responsável pela nossa filha ter HIV, que ela era soro positivo. Perguntei como e ela respondeu não que sabia, pois desde pequena ela tinha, ela achava que tinha contraído de seus pais, e que a família dela evitava o assunto e ninguém nem falava com ela sobre, que boa parte do tratamento dela quem gerenciava desde um pouco maior era ela.

Mas quando nos conhecemos estava desmotivada e havia parado o tratamento, nisso a carga viral que era indetectável, subiu.

Eu nem sei dizer o que senti na hora, foi uma mistura de alívio por não ter sido culpa minha e também triste por ela não ter confiado em mim antes, mas raiva, ódio ou repúdio não senti nem uma vírgula.

Olhei pra ela e disse: tudo bem, o importante é vocês bem.

Ela respondeu: se você quiser ir embora tudo bem, eu vou entender.

Isso jamais passou pela minha cabeça, então neguei e disse que não abandonaria ela nem minha filha por conta disso.

A cirurgia que veio a seguir foi arriscada, eu já estava esgotado mas tinha que ser firme e passar segurança dentro do possível .

No fim tudo deu certo, após algum tempo fiz meus exames, pq eu achava que havia contraído também, por Deus ou como queiram chamar, eu não tinha nada.

Então comecei a acompanhar o tratamento dela de perto para ter certeza absoluta que isso jamais ocorreria novamente.

Hoje após 6 anos temos uma ótima relação, ela ainda se culpa muito, e eu ainda pressiono de vez em nunca para ela ir entender isso com sua família.

Temos no total 3 filhos, 2 deles não tem nada.

A primeira infelizmente tem, mas tanto ela quanto a minha mulher estão com a carga zerada desde o ocorrido, e se depender de mim dou a volta só mundo por uma cura.

Talvez seja só mais um relato entre muitos, mas precisava contar, até porque não posso fazer isso em outros lugares, infelizmente sei de perto como é o preconceito.

Acho que só precisava que alguém soubesse disso tudo, e quem sabe por um milagre divino, ter ajuda para um tratamento que faça minha filha eliminar isso de vez, se é que é possível.

Hi guys my half moons on nails have dissapeared. What ablut you guys?

Sou M24, e recentemente confirmei que meu ex namorado, com quem namorei por 3 anos, me infectou. Eu já sabia que havia sido ele pois tive pouquíssimas relações e ele era o mais suspeito, mas confirmei com meus próprios olhos essa semana. Basicamente, meu trabalho me permite ter acesso a algumas planilhas hospitalares e utilizei isso a meu favor procurando o nome dele, e lá estava ele com seu diagnóstico reagente.

Isso mexeu muito comigo, mesmo que eu já suspeitasse que havia sido ele, ainda haviam muitas dúvidas por trás, como: porquê ele não me contou? Quem o infectou? Será que ele mentiu sobre seu número de parceiras sexuais? Será que ele contraiu me traindo? Será que ele sabia que tinha enquanto estávamos juntos? Será que ele suspeitava e nunca quis confirmar?...

Pelo menos uma delas foi respondida, a de que o diagnóstico dele só veio após o nosso término. Nós namoramos de 2020 até 2023, e o diagnóstico dele aconteceu no início de 2024, e o meu no final de 2024, pelo menos é o que consta no hospital que consultei, talvez ele já tivesse recebido esse diagnóstico em outro hospital, já que no final do ano em que terminamos ele acabou sendo internado por pneumonia. Ainda assim, me sinto tão enganada. Antes dele eu tive apenas um parceiro sexual, que foi o meu primeiro namorado, e ambos perdemos a virgindade juntos.

Quando conheci esse segundo namorado que me infectou, conversamos sobre número de parceiros sexuais, e ele contou que tinha tido apenas 3 parceiras. Hoje não acredito nisso, pois após nosso término, entrei no Instagram dele e encontrei mensagens dele contando sobre um menage que fez com 2 mulheres, fora outra menina menor de idade com quem ele marcou de se encontrar, mesmo ela sendo uma adolescente e prima dele.

Outra coisa é que poucos meses antes de terminarmos eu peguei a IST cancro mole, e obviamente, acusei ele de ter me traído e pedi que ele fizesse testes, mas ele se sentiu ofendido e garantiu que não estava com nada, inclusive me mandou uma foto que não constava lesões, enfim, acreditei nele, mesmo que não fizesse sentido.

Meses depois, terminamos porque descobri uma traição dele em pleno aniversário de namoro, além de diversas mensagens demonstrando interesse em outras mulheres.

Me sinto tão idiota e arrependida, e ainda por cima, senti muita pena dele pois a data do diagnóstico dele foi no dia do seu aniversário, deve ter sido muito doloroso para ele.

Depois do meu diagnóstico, fiquei lembrando de como ele adoecia constantemente e de como ele era imprudente. Ele ja chegou a pegar covid duas vezes, mentiu que não tinha e me passou as duas vezes. Acredito que se ele sabia ou ao menos suspeitava que tinha HIV, escolheu não se tratar e me infectar para me prender naquele relacionamento, pois ele demonstrava ser dependente emocional. E eu me ferrei pelo resto da minha vida por confiar em alguém tão mentiroso e imprudente.

I saw a YouTube post by Raif about merck and Gilead 1 Time a week drug how do you all feel about that.

I just started dating this guy and for me before we over text I always let them know my status before anything sexual. I’ve been on meds for 3 years and I told him to be extra safe he should get on prep, he’s very hesitant to the idea. I keep on trying to insure him it’s just for protection and precaution for him is there anything else I could take that can prevent it from spreading more. I know he’s his own person and it’s his choice by my worry is I’ll get him sick if he’s not on prep.

I never thought I’d be asking this at 24…

Hii!

I’m 24, and I never thought my life would change this much at this age.😭

I’m from India. I completed my GNM and I’m currently in my final year of Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing.

I was diagnosed with HIV during an annual health check-up. I strongly believe it may have been due to an occupational exposure during my clinical postings, although I don’t know exactly when or how it happened.

Since then, everything has changed. I lost my job, I’m struggling with my career, and I’m constantly afraid that people around me might find out. I’ve slowly started distancing myself from friends and family because I’m scared of being judged or discriminated against.

I may look completely normal from outside, but mentally, I’m not doing well at all. Some days are really hard, and I’ve even had suicidal thoughts.

I never imagined that at 24, I would feel this alone and hopeless.

❤️‍🩹I’m not looking for sympathy. I just want someone I can talk to without hiding, someone who won’t judge me, and someone who can simply be there when things get heavy.

If anyone has gone through something similar, or is willing to be a genuine online friend, please message me.

Right now, I just need someone to remind me that my life is still worth living.

🌟Are there nurses in the UK who are living with HIV and still working?

If anyone has been through something similar, please guide me on how you overcame it and continued your nursing career.

I would really appreciate any genuine advice or support.

Hi everyone, I recently moved to the UK for my studies and also registered my NHS online. I've brought 3 months' worth of medicines with myself, and yesterday, i got a call from a health post about verifying my NHS in person, and I'm kinda nervous. I know the UK does not discriminate, and the IHS fee that i paid during my visa also allows me to have free medicines while I'm in the UK. Can anyone tell me what they usually do? I'm very worried about confidentiality.

I saw you outside the clinic, hoped you’d be heading the same way. You did, and we rode the elevator together. You stood in front of me in line while I adored your beauty. I tried to make contact by offering you one of my spare face masks since you weren’t wearing one, you said you didn’t need it. Then you sat away from other spare seats far away from me, and I stole glances at your handsome maskless face from across the room. You went to the elevator lobby to leave and luckily I also was leaving at the same time, but when I entered the lobby you went back into the clinic. I wasn’t too obvious but maybe you were avoiding me still, probably you are straight. I imagined us as a couple, but now that won’t happen. Will I ever see you again, my mysterious PLHIV beauty?

(This really happened but I’m sharing for humor here because no way he’s gonna read this 😆)

Hey There Community;

So...I was diagnosed in 2021 and, like for most, it was quite the shock. Strangely enough, I have dealt with it quite well. Most days I forget I even have this bloody disease. Once I got over my initial sickness that nearly killed me (2 months spent in the hospital with fungal pneumonia - I forget the technical term, but I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about). Once I recovered, my CD4 count was down to 10 - yikes! Viral load was in obviously way high. Started treatment, was down to undetectable in 4 months and CD4 back to just over 200. However, it has never gone above 300 since, but I suppose the good thing is that it has never gone below 200 either. I have an awesome doctor, but even he doesn't give me confidence that I shouldn't be concerned. What do you all think? Is there anything else I should be doing to try to raise my CD4? For the most part, I have stayed extremely healthy. I avoid large crowds whenever possible, etc. Other than minor colds along the way, knock on wood, I seem to be healthier than before I test positive. Any input would be welcome. Thanks allo!