Thanks to today’s treatments for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), having the infection is no longer a “death sentence.” Antiretroviral therapy helps many people with HIV to live long and otherwise healthy lives.
Still, there are myths about HIV that perpetuate stigma. It’s a myth that getting an HIV diagnosis “ruins” your life, or that you can’t still have loving relationships, successful careers, or healthy children. Getting any diagnosis can be hard to hear, but that doesn’t mean good things can’t come into your life afterward.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). HIV: HIV treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). HIV: Stigma and mental health.
Why trust our experts?
Written by:
Lauren Smith, MALauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Reviewed by:
Brian Clista, MDDr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.
