Question
Why did my HIV clinic close last week and when will it reopen?
8 February 2025. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, CD4 and viral load, Southern Africa, Stopping treatment.
Hi there, I went to get my HIV meds last week but I was turned away and was told the clinic was now closed.
Now I am out of HIV meds.
What can I do and how dangerous is this?
Answer
Hi there
Thank you for your email and for letting us know about this.
I am really sorry that your clinic closed and you have had to go through this. You don’t say which country you are in but thousands of people treated at US-funded clinics are going through this in many other countries.
Why did clinics recently close?
This is because on 20 January 2025 the new US President halted all international US aid. He did this without notice and without concern for the impact this would have. It was a shocking thing to do and many people are angry and fighting to get services back.
A few days later though the US issued a waiver that is likely to continue funding HIV meds in the PEPFAR programme.
However, even after the waiver, many clinics are still closed. Over this time more than one million other people living with HIV have also had to stop HIV meds.
Short-term safety
- Please remember that the clinic might only be closed for a short time. Hopefully this will only be for a month or less.
- Also, even though it is better to stay on ART, a short break is likely to be okay. Even if this is for a few months most people would be okay.
- Look out for any new symptoms. This is especially if your HIV history ever included a low CD4 count or a high viral load. For example, a CD4 lower than 200 cells/mm3 or a viral load higher than 100,000 copies/mL.
One important caution is that there is a small chance that some people might have a very high viral load 2–3 weeks after stopping ART. This can be a bit like seroconversion, with similar symptoms. If you start to feel very ill, including if you have chest pains, it is important to see a doctor or go to hospital.
Please see this link if you already had to stop ART.
Most people will be okay during a short break in ART but if your CD4 count was ever lower than 200 cells/mm3, it is important to connect to another HIV clinic.
If your CD4 count was ever less than 50 cells/mm3 a doctor needs to know about this straight away.
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