• An estimated 40,000 new HIV infections occur in the U.S. each year
• Half of all new HIV infections are believed to occur in people under the age of 25; over half of those infections are the result of heterosexual contact.
• Women make up nearly one-third of new HIV infections.
• Over 60% of Marylanders living with HIV/AIDS live in Central Maryland.
• Many of those who are infected with HIV are unaware of their HIV status and may unknowingly be transmitting the virus to others.

Risk factors for HIV infections

You may be at increased risk if your answer to any of the questions below is yes:

• Have you injected drugs, including steroids, or shared equipment such as needles, syringes, cotton, water with others who injected drugs?
• Have you had unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with men who have sex with men, multiple partners, or anonymous partners?
• Have you exchanged sex for drugs or money?
• Have you been diagnosed with or treated for hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB) or a sexually transmitted disease (STD), like syphilis?
• Have you received a blood transfusion or clotting factor between 1978 and 1985?
• Have you had unprotected sex with someone who would answer yes to any
  of the above questions?

You cannot rely on symptoms to know whether or not you are infected with HIV. The only way to know if you are infected is to be tested for HIV infection.

Reference links

This is a sampling of web sites that our staff find helpful for information about HIV/AIDS and its effects on families. Family and Children's Services does not endorse any of these web sites.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) answers frequently asked questions about HIV and HIV testing on their web site.

The ADA and Persons with HIV/AIDS explains t he requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act for as it pertains to people with HIV/AIDS.

Disability and SSI offers this useful benefit eligibility screening tool.

Financial assistance with prescription drugs. The Maryland Pharmacy Program helps low- and moderate-income residents pay for medically necessary prescription drugs. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader loaded on your computer in order to open this application form.

MEDBANK of Maryland is a nonprofit organization that helps provide access to prescription medications for chronically ill, low-income, underinsured/uninsured Maryland residents. It also helps patients complete the paperwork required to enroll in Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs.

Medicaid web site has everything you need to know about Medicaid.

Medicare web site has everything you need to know about Medicare.

Rx List is a commercial site that offers descriptions of many common drugs, including the conditions for which they are prescribed, side effects, and drug interaction warnings.

The U.S. Department of Justice web site includes a variety of information related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including the accommodations that must be made for those infected with HIV.

"I couldn't work anymore. I was a couple of months behind on my rent. The FCS staff kept us from ending up on the street, and made sure my kids got fed."

- FCS client

Services we offer for families affected by HIV / AIDS

Children's Permanency Project
recruits and trains parents to foster/adopt medically fragile infants and children. We place drug- or HIV-exposed or alcohol-affected infants in foster homes while offering counseling and case management services to birth parents. If birth parents are unable to create a stable home for their children, foster families move forward with adoption. Foster/adoptive parents are also recruited to adopt older children. FCS provides ongoing training and support to families after adoption.

Bolton Hill Office: 410-669-9000

Home-Based Services for HIV+ and Drug-Affected Families
supports low-income Baltimore families dealing with HIV/AIDS in their efforts to function independently. Helps families understand medical, employment, and housing needs; obtain health care; and plan for a smooth transition of dependent children to an alternative caregiver, if necessary.

Bolton Hill Office: 410-669-9000

In-Home Aid and Caregiving Services
help individuals avoid premature institutionalization, provide training and respite for caregivers and promote family stability. Certified nursing assistants, under the super-vision of registered nurses, provide light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, shopping and personal care to elderly or disabled adults as well as those recovering from injury, illness or surgery. Social workers offer case management, counseling and mediation of family disputes. Sliding-fee scale services are offered throughout Central Maryland.
For more information, please call 800-899-4601 or the office nearest you.

Annapolis: 410-571-8341

Baltimore City: 410-366-5614

Bel Air: 410-838-3222

Columbia: 410-997-3557

Glen Burnie: 410-760-6634

Laurel: 410-880-5917

Westminster: 410-848-2433

Woodlawn: 410-281-1334