Since reporting began in 1982, more than 12,700 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Kentucky. Of those diagnoses, 58 percent of those reported infections progressed to AIDS, according to a 2025 state HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report.

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Being diagnosed with HIV can feel overwhelming, and recent federal policy changes, funding cuts, and proposed budget reductions have raised concerns about the future of HIV care and prevention across the country.

But there are still resources out there to connect people who have recently been diagnosed with the virus with good care.

Here is what some health care providers recommend HIV positive Kentuckians do to find the care they need.

Reach out to a primary care provider

Reaching out to a primary care provider for recommendations on how to find HIV-related care is a good first step, according to the National Library of Medicine.

However, some people in rural parts of Kentucky might struggle to find local providers with knowledge of treating a person living with HIV, or they may experience social stigma, according to Alice Thornton, a professor at the University of Kentucky, chief of its division of infectious diseases at its college of medicine and the project director for the Kentucky AIDS Education and Training Center.

“If they have a trusted local provider, they should be able to help,” she told Queer Kentucky. “Their primary care physician may be aware of options in their area and could be a starting place.”

Turn to The Bluegrass Care Clinic at the University of Kentucky

The Bluegrass Care Clinic at the University of Kentucky provides HIV-related care to 2,200 people across 63 counties, with about half of those patients living in rural areas, according to Thornton. The clinic offers a breadth of services for those with HIV and other infectious diseases, including transportation.

Prospective patients can reach a navigator nurse at (859) 323-1688.

Thornton added that the University of Kentucky also recently launched the LINK Project, a community health initiative meant to help those at increased risk for contracting HIV and Hepatitis C receive medical care and continue to get the care they need.

People with HIV can request information about HIV providers in their area by emailing [email protected].

“The LINK team can help with the handoff to care and can assist in removing barriers that the person may have in accessing services,” Thornton said.

Check out The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

The Bluegrass Care Clinic is part of a national, federally funded program called the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides a system of HIV primary medical care, medications, and essential support services for low-income people with the virus, according to the program’s website.

Thornton recommends that people looking for HIV care do some research on the program and what it provides because of the wealth of resources it supports. The program funds cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations to provide HIV care, treatment, and services to more than 600,000 people across the country.

“All of our Ryan White Clinics across Kentucky are nationally renowned for their high-quality care, retention in care, and achievement of viral suppression,” said Jon Parker, CEO of AVOL Kentucky.

Every state and U.S. territory has a Health Resources & Services Administration-funded Ryan White Part B program, and Kentuckians can find a map of case managers and qualifying clinics on the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services website.

Kentucky is one of many U.S. states that also have Ryan White Part C and Part D programs, which deliver HIV care at greatly reduced or no cost to patients, Thornton said.

People can also find HIV testing sites and HIV care services provided through the Ryan White program via this national website. Those looking for a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program medical provider can find one here.

The website allows users to enter a ZIP code and find a provider within a defined radius. Thornton urged rural Kentuckians to search for providers via the website within a 60- to 80-mile radius of their homes to help the site find programs close to their location.