Quick Answer
- Chicagoans can get confidential online HIV and STD counselling with Dr. Yuvraj Monga for $99.
- The Chicago Department of Public Health runs sexual health clinics that provide care regardless of insurance or ability to pay.
- CDPH clinics offer HIV and STI testing, STI treatment and PrEP by appointment.
- For PEP within 72 hours, go to an emergency department or call a clinic immediately.
The HIV Testing Counselling Program, Run by Dr. Yuvraj Monga
This program is led by Dr. Yuvraj Monga, MBBS, MD, an HIV, AIDS and STD specialist physician with a fellowship in infectious diseases and more than 25 years of experience managing and treating patients from around the world. Our counselling follows WHO and CDC guidelines, and our own EXACT program means we take time to understand every patient, not just their test result.
Easy consultation, friendly follow-up support, and a clear path to living with confidence and safety.
Chicago has a way of keeping things to itself. Neighbourhoods are close-knit, winters are long, and many people would rather sit with a worry for weeks than mention it to anyone. When the worry is about HIV or an STD, that silence can cost you the most important hours. If you've been searching quietly for the best doctors for HIV/AIDS in Chicago, here is a straightforward guide and a private way to talk it through.
What Brings Chicagoans to Us
The people who contact us from Chicago usually fall into a few groups:
- Professionals worried about an encounter during a conference or a night out in River North.
- Students and young adults facing their first sexual health scare.
- Married men and women anxious about protecting their spouse while waiting for results.
- People recently diagnosed who want to understand their reports and options.
- Families from the city's South Asian community who prefer to speak in Hindi.
What they share is a need for clear, private, judgment-free guidance, and that is exactly what counselling with Dr. Yuvraj Monga provides.
Chicago's Public Sexual Health Clinics
Cook County is a federal Ending the HIV Epidemic priority county. Within the city, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) runs sexual health clinics that provide HIV testing and referrals, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis testing and treatment, and PrEP by appointment. CDPH states that it serves people regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status.
| Local service | What it offers (check before visiting) |
|---|---|
| CDPH Lakeview North Clark Street Health Clinic | 2849 N. Clark St. STI/HIV testing and STI treatment, open five days a week. Phone 312-744-5507. |
| CDPH Austin West Division Street Health Hub | 4909 W. Division St. Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Phone 312-746-4871. |
| CDPH Roseland East 115th Street Health Hub | 200 E. 115th St. Open Monday, Thursday and Friday. Phone 312-747-1090. |
| Emergency departments and urgent care | Your fastest route to PEP outside clinic hours. |
Walk-ins are accepted based on availability, but appointments are preferred, so call ahead, especially in winter, when travel across the city takes longer.
Talk to Dr. Monga privately today
Consultation on WhatsApp. $99 package. 100% confidential.
PEP in Chicago: Don't Let the Weather Decide
If your exposure was in the last 72 hours, go to a hospital emergency department or urgent care today and ask for HIV PEP assessment. A snowstorm or a busy week is not a reason to wait; PEP works best when started as early as possible.
After you start PEP, counselling helps with side effects, missed doses and the anxiety that often builds during the 28-day course. Read our guide on when to start PEP.
Getting Tested at the Right Time
Testing too early is the number one cause of lingering doubt. Here's a practical plan for a single exposure:
- Around 2 weeks: gonorrhoea and chlamydia tests, from the sites relevant to the type of sex.
- At 6 weeks: a 4th-generation HIV antigen/antibody test plus a syphilis test.
- At 12 weeks: a confirmatory HIV test if you took PEP or used an antibody-only test.
Our pages on which test to choose and the window period go into more detail.
PrEP: Planning Ahead in Chicago
If you have new partners regularly, PrEP offers strong protection against HIV. Most private insurance plans cover it, and CDPH clinics can help you start. Counselling with Dr. Monga covers the questions people often feel awkward asking a busy clinic: Is PrEP right for me? What tests do I need first? How long before it protects me? What if I miss a dose?
Living With HIV in Chicago
Chicago's HIV care is robust, but life with HIV involves far more than clinic visits. We help clients navigate disclosure to partners and family, return to dating, manage stress and stigma at work, and stay motivated with daily treatment. You can also share viral load and CD4 reports for a clear explanation. Our page on treatment options is a helpful starting point.
HIV Explained: What It Is, Common Symptoms and Why Early Advice Matters
What is HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the immune system, especially the CD4 cells that help the body fight infection. It spreads through blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, vaginal and rectal fluids and breast milk, most often through unprotected sex or shared needles. It does not spread through hugging, kissing, sharing food or everyday contact. Without treatment, HIV can slowly progress to AIDS. With modern treatment, people living with HIV live long, healthy lives.
Common early symptoms
Some people develop a short flu-like illness two to four weeks after infection. Many people have no symptoms at all, which is why testing, not guessing, gives the answer.
These symptoms are also caused by flu, other infections and even anxiety. Our pages on early signs and symptoms and the testing window period explain why a correctly timed test matters more than any symptom.
Why consult a doctor early?
What we do for people in Chicago
We counsel for every HIV, AIDS and STD concern, privately and without judgment:
When Do You Need Counselling? Our Services for Chicago
Counselling isn't only for a new diagnosis. Most people who reach us are making an important health decision: whether they need PEP, whether PrEP is right for them, which tests to take, how to protect a partner or how to plan a family. Choose what fits your situation and book a session on WhatsApp.
PEP Counselling (Within 72 Hours)
After a risky exposure, PEP can prevent HIV if started within 72 hours. Get PEP from a local emergency department or sexual health clinic; we help you understand your risk, take every dose and manage side effects.
- Is this exposure risky enough for PEP?
- How to take 28 days of PEP without missing doses
- Managing nausea, bloating and stomach upset
- Follow-up HIV tests after PEP
PrEP Counselling
PrEP is a medicine that prevents HIV before exposure. In Chicago, PrEP must be prescribed and monitored by a locally licensed provider. We help you decide if it suits you and how to get it near you, often covered by insurance.
- Is PrEP right for you: daily, on-demand or injectable
- Which baseline tests to do first
- How to get PrEP from a local provider or pharmacy
- If you visit India, PrEP can be arranged during your trip
Testing Counselling: Which Tests and When
Testing at the wrong time is the main reason people stay anxious after a negative result. We give you a dated plan and explain every report.
- 4th-generation HIV test at 6 weeks
- Gonorrhoea & chlamydia from 2 weeks
- Syphilis at 6 weeks, repeat at 12 if advised
- Report interpretation in plain language
STD Counselling
Burning, discharge, sores or simply worry after sex? Many STDs cause no symptoms at all. We help you understand the risk and plan the right tests and treatment.
- Syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, herpes, HPV
- Which sites to test: urine, throat, rectal
- Partner notification and treatment
- Preventing repeat infections
Counselling for HIV-Positive Partners
If one partner is living with HIV, you can still have a safe, loving and intimate relationship. We counsel couples together or individually.
- U=U: undetectable means untransmittable
- PrEP and condoms for the HIV-negative partner
- Disclosure, trust and intimacy
- Handling family and social pressure
Family Planning Counselling
People living with HIV can have healthy, HIV-negative babies. We help couples plan conception, pregnancy and birth safely, alongside your local doctors.
- Reaching an undetectable viral load first
- Safe conception for mixed-status couples
- Pregnancy, delivery and infant testing
- Questions to ask your antenatal team
Managing PEP Side Effects: Nausea, Bloating, Stomach Upset and Fever
Modern PEP is usually well tolerated, but some people feel unwell in the first one to two weeks. Most side effects are mild and settle as the body adjusts. Never stop PEP on your own: contact the doctor who prescribed your PEP, or message us for guidance first.
| Side effect | What usually helps | When to get help |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | Take the dose with food, eat small frequent meals, try ginger or dry crackers. Your doctor can prescribe an anti-nausea medicine. | If you vomit within an hour of a dose, ask your doctor whether to repeat it. |
| Bloating & stomach upset | Smaller meals, less spicy, oily or fizzy food, and gentle walking after meals. | Severe or worsening abdominal pain needs urgent review. |
| Loose stools | Drink plenty of fluids or oral rehydration solution; eat simple foods. | If it lasts more than two days or you feel dizzy or dehydrated. |
| Headache & tiredness | Rest, hydration and a regular sleep routine; take the dose at the same time daily. | If severe, or with confusion or a stiff neck. |
| Fever | Fever is not a typical PEP side effect. It can come from another infection, a reaction to medicine or, rarely, early HIV. | Contact a doctor promptly, especially if fever comes with a rash. |
Seek urgent care for a rash with fever, yellowing of the eyes or skin, dark urine, severe abdominal pain, repeated vomiting or difficulty breathing.
Counselling during PEP helps you stay on all 28 days, which matters as much as starting on time. Many people also need support for the anxiety that builds while they wait for follow-up results.
Our Approach: The EXACT Program
EXposure · Anxiety · Counselling · Testing & Treatment: one confidential pathway led by Dr. Yuvraj Monga.
Exposure
A detailed, judgment-free review of what happened and how risky it really was. PEP timing is checked first.
Anxiety
Practical tools to calm racing thoughts, stop symptom-checking and sleep again while you wait.
Counselling
One-to-one sessions on risk, relationships, disclosure, medication and living well with HIV.
Testing & Treatment
A dated HIV and STD test plan, report reviews, and guidance on PEP, PrEP or ART.
Sessions on Central Time
Your appointment is booked in Central Time and confirmed on WhatsApp. Here is how Chicago hours line up with India:
| Your time in Chicago | India time (winter) | India time (summer) |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM in Chicago (Early morning) | 7:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| 12:00 PM in Chicago (Lunch break) | 11:30 PM | 10:30 PM |
| 6:00 PM in Chicago (After work) | 5:30 AM (next day) | 4:30 AM (next day) |
| 9:00 PM in Chicago (Late evening) | 8:30 AM (next day) | 7:30 AM (next day) |
Chicago runs on Central Time. India is 11 hours 30 minutes ahead, one hour less while daylight saving time is in effect. Every appointment is confirmed in your local time on WhatsApp.
How It Works
1. Message on WhatsApp
Send a short note. A first name is enough to begin.
2. Fix your appointment
We confirm a slot in your local time zone.
3. Talk to Dr. Monga
Chat, voice or video. Private and unhurried.
4. Friendly follow-up
Written next steps, test dates and support until you have answers.
Support for Chicago's South Asian Families
Around Devon Avenue on the North Side and across the western suburbs, Chicago has a large, long-established South Asian community. In families where marriage expectations and privacy matter deeply, speaking about an exposure or an HIV diagnosis can feel impossible. Counselling in Hindi with Dr. Monga, entirely outside your local circle, gives you the freedom to be honest and the guidance to act.
Meet Dr. Yuvraj Monga
Dr. Monga has spent his career helping people through HIV, AIDS and STD concerns, from the panic of a recent exposure to long-term HIV management. He is Chief Consultant Physician at Dr. Monga Medi Clinic and leads the HIV Testing Counselling program and its EXACT approach. He consults online from India with people around the world, including across the United States. Conversations are direct, evidence-based and free of judgment, in English or Hindi.
Recognition:
- Indian Achievers Award (2014)
- Brand Achiever, Health Care Excellence Awards (2015)
- Indian Achievers Award for Best Clinic in Delhi-NCR (2017)
Your $99 Counselling Package
For Chicago clients, the online counselling package is $99. We confirm on WhatsApp exactly what it includes for your situation before you pay. No full name is needed to start the conversation.
Don't Wait: Protect Yourself Before the Virus Takes Hold
After a risky exposure, the first 72 hours decide whether PEP can still protect you. If you're anxious, waiting for results or living with HIV, a single conversation can give you a clear plan. Book your consultation today and fix your appointment in your local time.
Send a Private Query
Fill in a few details. Your query is emailed to Dr. Monga's team and WhatsApp opens with your details, so you can reach us instantly. Everything stays confidential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best doctors for HIV/AIDS in Chicago?
Chicago has strong HIV specialists at academic medical centres and community health centres. The best fit depends on your insurance, neighbourhood and needs. Counselling with Dr. Monga helps you understand your situation and prepare before you choose.
Do CDPH clinics charge for HIV testing?
The Chicago Department of Public Health says it provides care regardless of your ability to pay or whether you have insurance. If you are insured, bring your card.
Can I get PrEP at a Chicago public clinic?
Yes. CDPH lists PrEP among its sexual health services; call the clinic to schedule an appointment.
What should I do for PEP in Chicago at night?
Go to a hospital emergency department and ask for HIV PEP assessment. PEP must start within 72 hours, ideally much sooner.
What time are sessions for Chicago clients?
Sessions are confirmed in Central Time. India is 11.5 hours ahead in winter and 10.5 hours in summer.
What should I do if PEP makes me feel sick?
Nausea, bloating and stomach upset are common in the first weeks. Take doses with food, eat small meals and stay hydrated, and ask your doctor about anti-nausea medicine. Don't stop PEP on your own. Fever with a rash, yellow eyes or severe pain needs urgent medical care.
Can you send PrEP to my location?
We don't post prescription medicines across borders, because import rules in Chicago restrict this and PrEP needs local monitoring. We help you get PrEP from a licensed provider or pharmacy near you, and if you visit India, PrEP can be arranged during your trip.
Further Reading
Detailed, doctor-reviewed guides from our sister resource, PEP Treatment for HIV:
Official public health resources:
People in Chicago
Medical note: Dr. Monga HIV Counselling Center provides online counselling, education and guidance. It does not replace an in-person examination, laboratory testing or prescriptions from a provider licensed in your state. If an exposure happened in the last 72 hours, seek PEP from a local hospital or clinic immediately. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States.