Medical Professionals

“I go to an HIV specialist, so he knows I have HIV, and the other people at the clinic know, too—but that’s it.”

“When I got sick I was in the hospital for a while and after I got out I had to get Homecare to help me out. My family decided not to tell the nurse I was HIV positive because the nurse is supposed to be safe around me anyhow. I just don’t want a stranger knowing. The nurse just knows I have a blood disorder.”

You don’t have to tell your doctor, nurse, social worker, homecare provider or any other healthcare professional you are HIV positive unless you want to tell them. But if you don’t already have a doctor or HIV specialist helping you stay well, you may want to think about telling your doctor so you can get the care and treatment you need to stay healthy.