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Finding your HIV care team

• More information on finding your HIV care team

One of the most important relationships for a woman living with HIV is the one she has with her doctor. (This might also be a nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, or other person on your health care team.) This relationship can have a big impact on your well-being and how well you will do with your treatment. The doctor can work with you to create the best treatment plan for you. He or she can give support and help you face challenges. Your regular doctor or trained HIV counselor can help you find a specialist with experience treating HIV and AIDS. A doctor who specializes in HIV/AIDS can provide comfort during this time. He or she may also give you referrals to programs offering social support, housing, case management, and other services. The specialist may have a team at the clinic who can help you with some of these issues. When choosing an HIV doctor, you should feel comfortable with her and have faith in her abilities. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, this is especially important.

Even though you will find a doctor to help you with your HIV, over time you will still need to see a doctor for other health issues. If you do use multiple doctors, they must work as a team and communicate with each other. Some questions you may want to ask a doctor who specializes in HIV include:

• Are you an HIV specialist? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people infected with HIV be treated by HIV specialists.
• Have you treated many women with HIV? It is important to find a doctor who has experience with the unique issues women with HIV and AIDS face.
• What do you think about me participating in treatment decisions? Try to find a doctor who wants you to participate in treatment decisions, such as when to start medications and the use of complementary and alternative therapies.
• What other services and providers does your clinic have? Try to find a clinic or office that has many kinds of health care workers. Whether all your doctors are in one place or not, your HIV doctor should serve as a link to other people on your HIV care team. Other important members of your HIV care team include:
  • Nurses and nurse practitioners
  • Physician assistants
  • Pharmacists
  • Dentists
  • Social workers
  • Psychologists
  • Dietitians
  • Case managers

Building a good HIV care team is just one step in improving your health with HIV/AIDS. Being a proactive patient is vital. Always give your doctor as much information as you can. Be honest about whether you are taking your medications on time. Tell your doctor about your side effects. Be honest about sex and whether you are using protection. Come prepared to each doctor appointment. Learn more about How to Talk to Your Doctor or Nurse (PDF, 193 KB).

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More information on finding your HIV care team

Explore other publications and websites

• Building a Doctor/Patient Relationship (Copyright © Project Inform) — This guide helps doctors and patients build a healthy and productive doctor/patient relationship.
  http://www.projectinform.org/publications/patient/
• Medical Appointments (Copyright © AIDSinfonet.org) — This publication can help people living with HIV/AIDS prepare for and get the most out of doctor visits.
  http://aidsinfonet.org/fact_sheets/view/203?lang=eng
• Seeing an HIV Doctor — HIV doctors are skilled at providing care and treatment to HIV patients. This publication discusses what HIV-positive patients should expect when seeking an HIV doctor including tests and questions to ask.
  http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/SeeingHIVDoctor_FS_en.pdf
• State HIV/AIDS Hotlines — This Web page has phone numbers for state HIV/AIDS hotlines that can connect you to regional resources.
  http://hab.hrsa.gov/gethelp/statehotlines.html
• Talking With Your Doctor — This resource offers many tips on how to be prepared when going to your doctor. It also features several links to provide more information and how to talk to your doctor if you’re nervous, impatient, or scared.
  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/talkingwithyourdoctor.html

Connect with other organizations

• AIDS Healthcare Foundation
  http://www.aidshealth.org/
• AIDS InfoNet
  http://www.aidsinfonet.org/index.php
• AIDS.gov
  http://www.aids.gov/
• AIDSinfo
  http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/
• American Academy of HIV Medicine
  http://www.aahivm.org/
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS
  http://www.cdc.gov/
• Divisions of HIV/AIDS Prevention, CDC, HHS
  http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/dhap.htm

Content last updated July 1, 2011.

Resources last updated July 1, 2011.

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