HIV/AIDS Prevention & Treatment

You can obtain information about HIV testing from your medical provider. If you need assistance finding testing sites outside of New York City, email [email protected]. 
 
You can find free or low-cost HIV testing locations in New York City in the following ways:

• Visiting an NYC Sexual Health Clinic, where anyone 12 or older can get a confidential, anonymous test
• Searching the NYC Health Map
• Texting TESTNYC to 877-877
• Calling 311

You can also purchase a kit for testing yourself at home. 

If you are sexually active, part of your medical care should include HIV testing as well as screening for other sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea. Medical providers will provide referrals for screening services.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is antiretroviral medication that can prevent contraction of HIV if you've been exposed to the virus. PEP can be provided after a single high-risk event. It works to stop HIV from making copies of itself and spreading through your body. In order to be effective, PEP must be started as soon as possible, ideally within hours, and always within three days of a possible exposure. Two to three drugs are usually prescribed, and they must be taken for 28 days.

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV very recently, please schedule an appointment in SHS or with an outside provider as soon as possible. In addition, you can access community resources for PEP.

The two medications currently approved for PrEP therapy are tenofivir (Truvada) and emtricitabine (Descovy). Both are combinations of two HIV drugs in a single pill. When taken every day, PrEP can provide a high level of protection against HIV. When using PrEP, you should continue to practice informed consent with sexual partners and use other harm reduction tools like condoms, dental dams, and lube, which can prevent other sexually transmitted infections.

PrEP is offered at Student Health Services and requires an initial consultation as well as ongoing care with the Medical Services team. In addition, you can access community resources for PrEP.

Student Health Services provides referrals for antiretroviral therapy (ART) for students who are HIV positive and are seeking treatment. ART consists of a combination of antiretroviral drugs that maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. No drug can cure HIV, but taking a combination of different medications can control the amount of virus in your body and protect your immune system.

Your medical provider will take many factors into account when considering which HIV medications to prescribe for you. These will include your preferences (number of pills, number of times taken daily, etc.), the general state of your health, possible side effects, and your medical and psychiatric history.

STIs are quite common — they are part of sexual life. People who have them should not be shamed or stigmatized and do not necessarily need to stop having sex. You can reduce harm by knowing and sharing your status with your sexual partners and by asking your sexual partners to learn and share their status. The dialogue around STIs is important because having one can increase your chances of getting HIV. For example, having a sore or break on the skin from an STI or STD may allow HIV to more easily enter your body. Some ideas for talking about STIs and STDs include:

1. Don’t assume anyone’s status.
2. Talk as if somebody with an STI or STD is listening.
3. Avoid the words suffer, clean, and dirty. These words have loaded meanings.
4. Practice what you will say. Practice is part of the disclosure and consent process.

• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Institutes of Health
• PEP NYC
• New York State Department of Health/AIDS Institute
• Callen Lorde - Community Health Center
• Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center (LESHRC)
• Injection Drug Users Health Alliance (IDUHA)
• GMHC
• Housing Works