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 shs@newschool.edu. 
 
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 to test yourself at home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, you can request a free home HIV test kit.

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) can prevent HIV if you've been exposed to the virus. PEP is the use of antiretroviral drugs after a single high-risk event to stop HIV from making copies of itself and spreading through your body. PEP must be started as soon as possible to be effective, 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, see a doctor as soon as possible! In addition, you can also access community resources for PEP.

The goal of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is to prevent HIV infection from taking hold if you have been exposed to the virus. It's prescribed for people who are at higher risk of coming into contact with HIV. Higher-risk activities include having regular unprotected sex with partners of unknown status and sharing needles.

The two medications currently approved for PrEP therapy are Truvada and 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 radical consent 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), which consists of the combination of at least three antiretroviral drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. No drug can cure HIV. Taking a combination of different medications does the best job of controlling the amount of virus in your body and protecting your immune system.

Your medical provider will take many things into account when considering which HIV medications to prescribe for you. These will include your preferences (number of pills, once a day versus twice, etc.), the general state of your health (including your CD4 count), possible side effects, and your medical and psychiatric histories.

STIs and STDs 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 and STDs is important because having one can increase your chances of getting HIV. For example, having a sore or break in 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