HIV and AIDS

AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV interferes with your body’s ability to fight off viruses and bacteria that cause disease. If you have been infected with HIV/AIDS, we can help you live a productive and active life. Our skilled team offers consultation if you’re living with HIV or AIDS.

Services

Our team provides specialty treatment for HIV and AIDS, as well as HIV/hepatitis C co-infection. Our staff can provide HIV medication adherence sessions. We have a Ryan White HRSA grant to enhance care. Our grant-funded case management staff can assist you with health insurance eligibility (check your health plan for coverage) and enrollment, including to HIV medication programs (HDAP), as well as make referrals to services, such as AIDS service organizations, housing programs and immigration assistance.

We can refer patients for primary care, mental health, nutrition, oral health, perinatal HIV care and women’s services as needed. 

Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U)

If you have HIV, you can lead a healthy life by taking medications that keep the virus undetectable. Those who can keep an undetectable viral load (the amount of HIV present in a person's blood) for at least six months can’t transmit HIV through sex. This is called undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U). Our specialists can educate and answer any questions you have on U=U.

PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) for HIV Available

PrEP is a powerful prevention tool that can help reduce the risk of acquiring HIV infection. When medication is taken daily, and in conjunction with safer sexual practices, PrEP has been shown to reduce the possibility of acquiring HIV infection by more than 90% in people who are at high risk. People who take PrEP medication must commit to taking it every day and must see their health care provider for follow-up every three months for HIV testing.

Expertise for Pregnant Women with HIV

Care for pregnant women with HIV is also available at UMass Memorial Medical Center. Because early detection and treatment of HIV can dramatically reduce the chance of an infant born infected with HIV, our team recommends that all pregnant women be tested for HIV as a routine part of prenatal care. 

If you’re experiencing a high-risk pregnancy or have certain medical conditions that could make a pregnancy risky, you can trust UMass Memorial Medical Center to safely guide you through pregnancy. Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists are the region’s only doctors with advanced training in high-risk obstetrics.