Privacy Policy

Your privacy is critically important to us.

Last Updated: June 27, 2025

Welcome to hivhiv.org. We understand that health is a very personal and private subject, and we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of our visitors and community members. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you visit our website.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide and improve our services. The types of information we collect depend on how you use our site.

a. Information You Provide to Us

  • Community & Contact Forms: If you choose to post in our community forums, share your story, or contact us via a form, we may collect information such as your name (or pseudonym), email address, and the content of your message or post.
  • Newsletter Subscription: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will collect your email address.

We strongly advise against sharing any personally identifiable information (like your full name, address, or phone number) in public-facing areas like community forums.

b. Information We Collect Automatically

  • Log and Usage Data: Like most websites, we collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our site. This may include your computer's Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, browser version, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, and other statistics. This data is generally anonymized and used for analytics.
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies to help improve your experience. Cookies are small files stored on your device that help the site function and allow us to understand user traffic and site usage. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To operate, maintain, and improve our website and services.
  • To manage our community forums and user-submitted content.
  • To respond to your comments and questions and provide customer service.
  • To send you our newsletter or other information if you have opted in.
  • To analyze usage and trends to improve our content and user experience.
  • To protect the security and integrity of our website.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share information under the following limited circumstances:

  • With Your Consent: We may share information with your consent or at your direction.
  • Service Providers: We may share information with third-party vendors and service providers who help us operate our website (e.g., website hosting, email delivery). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
  • Affiliate Links: Some links on our site, particularly on the "Testing & Prevention" page, are affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. This comes at no extra cost to you and helps support our mission. We clearly disclose this where applicable.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect our rights or property, or ensure the safety of our users.
  • Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated and anonymized data that does not directly identify you for research or statistical purposes.

4. Data Security

We use a variety of security measures to protect your information. However, no electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

5. Your Rights and Choices

You have rights regarding your personal information. Depending on your location, these may include the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. If you have posted in our community forums or submitted a story, you can contact us to request its removal or modification.

6. Children's Privacy

Our website is not intended for individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will take steps to delete it.

7. Links to Other Websites

Our site may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [email protected].