Learning About and Living With HIV/AIDS

has a good discussion of what beginning steps to take if you’ve tested positive. The section titled “You’re Positive, Now What?” helps you choose a healthcare provider. Make sure to look at the HIV questionnaire in that section; it might be useful to you during a visit to the doctor.

has important resources to help you work with your healthcare provider, understand HIV treatment, and find an HIV specialist. Start with the “Living with HIV” area for tips on how to select and work with your doctor, then visit the “HIV Information Center” link to find an HIV specialist.

is a Web site founded and operated by people with HIV. If you have just been diagnosed with HIV, the site has a section that takes you step-by-step through the many things you’ll need to do like set up medical care, and learn about HIV/AIDS medications, drug interactions, and side effects as you start a drug regimen. If it’s personal stories or discussion forums you’re looking for, the site has blogs and message boards, too. You can read the message boards without registering, but you do need to register to post your own message.

offers a comprehensive discussion of approved therapies and treatments for HIV/AIDS, clinical trials and drug development, and new developments related to HIV or AIDS. To receive updates from the FDA about issues related to HIV and AIDS products, register on the e-mail list available toward the middle of the page.

is based in the UK and offers sound advice regarding healthcare practices during pregnancy, postnatal care of a baby born to an HIV-positive mother, and some facts about HIV testing in pregnant women. You will have to contend with a few advertisements on this site, but they shouldn’t interfere with your experience in reading the material about pregnancy and HIV.

discusses HIV treatment during pregnancy, the effects of certain medications on babies, and which drugs could help improve the survival rate of babies with HIV. The content from this page might seem limited, but the available information is greater if you use the links provided. The content from the links teaches you about some of the medical procedures involved in pregnancies of HIV positive women, such as cesarean delivery, amniocentesis, and perinatal HIV. Click the National Perinatal HIV Consultation and Referral Service link to access a free 24-hour advice hotline for HIV-infected pregnant women.

of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists provides information about HIV and pregnancy. Use the links at the left of the page in order to access the Perinatal HIV content. The “Links to Related Sites” option is particularly useful and provides access to additional HIV/AIDS information.

is run by a mother who adopted an HIV positive child. If you are willing to adopt a child who is HIV positive, this site can provide more information. Sign up for an adoption newsletter to receive information about HIV positive children who are waiting for adoption, or view lists of other children who have special needs other than HIV or AIDS. Not all of the sections of this site are complete, so keep checking back as more content is added.

offers a program called Chances by Choice, an international program dedicated to finding homes for overseas children who have HIV or AIDS. This organization works with both birth mothers and prospective adoptive parents. If you are looking to adopt, or if you want to place a child for adoption, check the “Contact Us” page to find contact information for those who can help. Under the “Our Programs” section, you can review the requirements of various adoption programs in the countries with which Adoption-Link works.