I am a non-US citizen currently on a business trip in LA and San Francisco. I would like to speak with a hiv specialist to discuss my condition. Please advise on how to arrangement for such an appointment.

Unless your insurance will cover a visit to a foriegn doctor, it is likely that you will have to pay out of pocket to see a doctor who treats people living with HIV. Currently there is no official designation for an HIV specialist.

The best way to find out about good HIV doctors is usually word of mouth. Most community based organizations are wary of recommending any one doctor but will often be able to identify a list of doctors in their local areas. You might want to call AIDS Project Los Angeles at (213)201-1600 or the San Francisco AIDS Foundation at (415) 487-3000 and ask if they have a list of HIV specialists in their area. There should be other community based HIV/AIDS organizations listed in the phone directory. There is also an organization called the American Academy of HIV Medicine that lists its members by state. Their web site is www.aahivm.org.