Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 3, 2026

Your Privacy at a Glance

RiseUpToHIV LLC operates this independent HIV education and community website in Florida. You can read its educational pages without creating a personal account or telling us your HIV status. Browsing still involves technical information, such as page requests and browser details, being processed by our hosting and other service providers.

Google Analytics is on by default for U.S. visitors unless they opt out. UK, EU, other EEA and Swiss visitors must opt in first. Unknown and other locations stay off. Browser privacy signals and saved opt-outs take priority.
Reading progress and saved articles are remembered in your browser. The reading tracker does not upload that saved history to us.
Forms, community posts, pledge signatures, and reactions send information to the services described below.
Public contributions can reveal information about you, even when you use a pseudonym.

RiseUpToHIV does not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising, including cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not run advertising or advertising pixels. We use outside providers to operate the site, as described below; this does not mean that no information leaves your device.

Analytics and Technical Information

Google Analytics 4 and regional choices. On eligible public pages, Google Analytics starts automatically for visitors identified as being in the United States, unless a saved opt-out or browser privacy signal blocks it. Visitors identified as being in the United Kingdom, European Union, other European Economic Area countries, or Switzerland see an optional analytics notice; Google Analytics stays off until they choose Allow analytics. If location is unknown, the country check fails, or the country is outside these enabled regions, Google Analytics stays off, including when there is an earlier saved Allow choice. The site remains available in every case. Local previews, moderation, mockups, error pages and specified internal or redirect pages are excluded.

How we choose the regional setting. We request the existing Cloudflare diagnostic endpoint on this website and use only its approximate country code to select a rule. The response can include your IP address and connection information; our analytics controller does not store that response or forward it to Google. We do not request GPS permission, use a location entered in a form, or infer location from your language. Cloudflare already processes requests as our website security and delivery provider. Country estimates can be inaccurate, especially with VPNs and network proxies. If your region appears wrong, you can turn analytics off below.

What Google receives when analytics is on. Measurements contain the static addresses and titles of eligible pages visited, the referring website’s domain, permitted browser/device information, approximate country/region and the interactions described below. Google processes the IP address used for the request, including for approximate location; we do not receive raw IP addresses in standard Analytics reports. We have disabled Google’s granular location/device collection, so we do not request city reporting or precise coordinates. Analytics cookies distinguish browsers and sessions; analytics is not completely anonymous.

Information excluded from our analytics events. We do not send names, email addresses, phone numbers, form contents, community stories, pledge messages, submitted locations, account identifiers, quiz answers, or on-site search text to Google Analytics. We do not send your saved reading list or community-post identifiers. Page views use a static page address and title, excluding URL query strings and fragments, and only the referring website’s origin. Our site tag disables Google Signals and advertising-personalization signals and denies advertising storage and advertising-data consent. We do not use these measurements for advertising. Our analytics setup does not enable automatic collection of form interactions or on-site search terms. Browser identifiers and page visits can still be personal data: these controls do not make analytics completely anonymous.

We measure page views (including visits to each hub), share-button clicks by platform, and an estimate of article engagement. An “engaged article read” means at least 45 seconds with the article visible and at least 60% reached during that page visit, after analytics is allowed. It is not proof of reading or understanding. Share-button clicks do not confirm that a post was published or a message delivered. These measurements are separate from the reading-progress record stored on your device. We do not ask for your HIV status to use analytics or assign visitors a health status. Article topics can still reveal sensitive interests when associated with a browser identifier, so you can turn analytics off at any time. Reading an HIV article is not evidence that someone has HIV.

Use the controls below to allow or turn off analytics where it is available. The Your Privacy Choices link in the footer brings you back here. Turning analytics off stops further Google Analytics measurement and removes its cookies accessible to this site. If Google Analytics was already loaded, the page reloads to unload it. We do not send cookieless Google Analytics measurements after an opt-out. It does not erase information already collected by Google. An explicit Allow choice expires after 180 days; in opt-in regions you then need to allow it again, while the U.S. default applies unless you opt out. An opt-out remains in this browser until you change it or clear this site’s stored data. If browser storage is unavailable, automatic analytics stays off and an explicit choice applies to the current page only. Changing this choice does not affect newsletter consent, submitted posts, moderation sign-in, or your reading-progress record.

GA4 reports cover eligible U.S. browsers that have not opted out and eligible browsers in opt-in regions that have allowed analytics. Reports may be affected by blockers, country-estimation errors or missing referral information. A “direct” visit does not necessarily mean someone typed our address. Search Console reports aggregate Google Search queries and clicks separately; they are not linked by this site to your submitted information.

You can also use browser privacy controls or a content blocker to restrict analytics, or use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on where supported. Blocking cookies alone may not prevent all requests to Google. See Google’s data-collection explanation and privacy policy.

Cookie-free server analytics. Netlify Web Analytics measures requests served by our hosting platform, including pageviews, popular pages, referral sources and broad locations. It does not use Google Analytics or browser tracking cookies. It uses IP addresses to estimate unique visitors; these totals are not an exact count of people and may include automated requests. Your Google Analytics choice does not disable these hosting metrics or security logs. See how Netlify Web Analytics works.

Hosting. Netlify serves the site and processes requests to it. Requests can include an IP address, the requested URL, time, browser information, and security or error information. Netlify and our other providers may retain technical logs under their service settings and policies. See Netlify’s privacy policy.

Cookies, Reading Progress, and Browser Storage

Cookies and local storage are different ways to remember information in a browser. Analytics cookies are described above. Local storage also supports these site features:

Reading progress: articles counted as read, recorded completion dates where available, reached milestones, and your milestone-message preference. Eligible Learning Hub articles count after you reach 60% of the content and spend at least 45 seconds in the article with the tab visible.
Saved articles: a saved-for-later list on pages that offer that feature.
Display preferences: dismissed preview notices and a choice to hide the external-link notice for 30 days.
Community features: a randomly generated browser identifier used for pledge and reaction features, and a local record that you signed the pledge. Unlike the reading list, the community identifier is sent to Supabase with relevant community requests.

Reading progress has no fixed expiration set by the site. It stays in that browser profile on that device until reset, cleared, or removed by the browser; it is not an account and does not sync between devices. Someone using the same browser profile may be able to see it.

Use Your Progress to reset the dashboard or turn milestone messages off. Your analytics choice is stored separately in this browser. Turning messages off does not stop reading progress from being saved, and resetting progress does not remove saved-for-later articles. Clearing this site’s cookies and site data in your browser removes its local records and preferences. Clearing only browsing history or cached files may not do so. Local clearing does not delete information already submitted to us or a service provider.

Use the site’s Your Privacy Choices control to allow or decline analytics. Browser tools can also restrict storage and scripts, although some interactive features may then stop working. We also keep Google Analytics off when your browser sends Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track. These signals take priority over an Allow choice. These signals block Google Analytics in every enabled region, including the United States. If you clear site data, the regional default applies again; you can then set a new choice.

Contact Forms, Email, and Submissions

When you use the contact and submission form, Netlify Forms receives the fields and files you submit. Depending on the form, these may include your name, email, message, organization details, links, publication preferences, or an uploaded photo. Form notifications and email replies may also be processed by our email provider.

We use submissions to respond, review suggestions, correct listings, moderate contributions, and carry out the request you made. A private contact message is not permission to publish it. Publication requests are handled according to the choices and notices on the relevant form. We do not add contact-form senders to a mailing list just because they contacted us.

This is not a clinical service or a secure medical-records portal. Please do not send medical records, insurance identifiers, government identification numbers, or another person’s private health information. See our medical disclaimer.

Voices Rising, the Pledge, and Reactions

Supabase is already used for community features. It stores and serves community posts, pledge signatures, reactions, and uploaded community photos. These features do not require a reader account. See Supabase’s privacy information.

Voices Rising submissions can include your chosen display name, city, writing, tags, links, memorial details, and a photo. The submission also records the publication acknowledgments you select, the submission time, and browser information. A post enters a moderation queue and appears in the public feed only after approval. The form supplies publication permission; a separate follow-up email is not always part of that process.

Story receipts and Founding Voices: when you submit a story, this browser saves a random receipt and secret token so you can return to check approval and open an optional share card. It also saves a random browser identifier to help moderators recognize returning contributors. These records do not contain your story text or name, but someone using the same browser profile may see your story receipts. Supabase keeps the receipt information and a private moderator-managed contributor record to assign one Founding Voice number per person among the first 20 approved storytellers. Names alone are not used to match people. The number is not added to the public wall automatically. Share cards leave out names and excerpts unless you choose to include them; excerpts are available after approval. Clearing site data removes receipts from this browser, not the submitted story or server records. Email info@riseuptohiv.com for a privacy request.

Community photos are uploaded to private storage. Moderators can review pending photos; visitors can view them with an approved post through temporary access links. Use only photos you have permission to make public. Once approved, others may save or share a copy, and a temporary link already issued can remain usable until it expires.

When you sign the pledge using the form introduced on October 2, 2026, your signature, signing date, and chosen city, state, or country appear publicly on the pledge wall and as an approximate map pin. Supabase receives the signature, location, public-display setting, and a browser identifier. Your name is optional: we send and display it only if you check “Show my name” and enter a name. Otherwise, even if you typed a name, we do not send it and your signature appears as “Anonymous.” Earlier signatures submitted as private remain private and still count toward the total. For messages of support submitted using the form updated on October 3, 2026, one publication acknowledgment covers the message and any optional public name or location you enter. A shared location adds an approximate map pin after approval. Leave both optional fields blank to appear as “Community Supporter” without a pin. We record your choices and the consent wording with the message. Earlier submissions retain their original permissions; this update does not publish previously withheld names or locations.

Community maps: an optional location shared with an approved Voices Rising post or approved message of support may appear as an approximate city, state, or country pin. New pledge signatures appear on the map without waiting for moderation, including signatures shown as “Anonymous.” The pledge form explains that the chosen location is public; its optional checkbox controls name display only. Earlier private signatures and pending or rejected posts have no public map pin. A country alone is enough; do not enter a street address. The map uses only the location text you choose to share, not GPS or an IP-based location. Place matching and map data are hosted on this site; we do not send that text to a separate geocoding service. Locations we cannot confidently match remain on the wall without a pin.

The community identifier helps remember reactions and distinguish repeated activity from the same browser. It is randomly generated rather than calculated from your device characteristics, but it can still link community actions from that browser. Choosing “Anonymous” hides your display name; it does not prevent technical logs or make identifying details in your writing anonymous.

Optional social sharing and tagging. Voices Rising and pledge-message forms let you separately allow us to feature your approved contribution on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. This starts unchecked and does not affect approval. We record the choice and the wording shown with your submission. If you opt in, you can optionally supply your own Facebook username/profile link or Instagram handle for tagging. These details stay in the moderation record, outside the public website feed, but a tag in a social post links to your profile and may identify you. Turning this choice off before submitting clears the tagging fields. Pledge signatures and private Hub Form requests are not included, and older posts without this permission are not treated as opted in. To withdraw permission or ask us to remove our social post, contact info@riseuptohiv.com. Copies retained by others may remain.

You can request removal of a contribution by emailing info@riseuptohiv.com with its link or enough detail to find it. We may need to verify that it is yours. Removal from our site cannot recall screenshots, downloads, search-engine caches, or copies made by others. Our submission terms explain publication and reuse.

Care Locator and Site Search

The Florida directory includes a locally maintained list. A ZIP search can also request additional providers through our server and the HIV.gov locator service, sending the ZIP code, search radius, and selected services. National searches use that connection when it is available. Search parameters can appear in URLs and request logs; do not enter a person’s name or medical details.

For ZIP codes without a built-in location, the Florida locator can send the ZIP code to Zippopotam.us to estimate distances. If you choose the live-location feature, your browser asks for location permission. The locator uses the returned coordinates in the page to refine distances. You can decline and use a ZIP code instead.

Provider websites and directions links open external services, such as Google Maps. Those services receive the information in the link and handle your visit under their own policies. The site-wide Pagefind search runs against the site’s search index in your browser; separate analytics and normal page requests can still occur.

Fonts, Translation, Media, and Sharing

Google Fonts and jsDelivr serve fonts or software used by the site. Some pages load Google Translate when they open, before a language is selected. Those requests can give the provider an IP address, browser information, and request or referral details. Selecting a translation uses Google’s service to process the page content.

Some video preview images load from YouTube’s image service when a page opens. Following a video or social-media link takes you to that provider. Its own storage, tracking, account settings, and privacy policy apply.

Share buttons pass a page link and sometimes a title to the selected platform or your mail or messaging app. They do not publish automatically. A public share can be associated with your profile by that platform or by people who see it. Copying a link does not post it for you.

Financial Support Through PayPal, Ko-fi, Cash App, and Venmo

The Support page links to our public PayPal, Ko-fi, Cash App, and Venmo profiles and includes an embedded Ko-fi tip panel. PayPal payments take place on PayPal’s website. The Cash App and Venmo buttons and QR codes open our profiles on those services, which process the payments. Both QR images are hosted on this website, so displaying them does not itself connect your browser to Cash App or Venmo. The Ko-fi panel is hosted by Ko-fi, with payments handled by its payment providers. Payment-card and bank-account details are entered with those providers, rather than collected by RiseUpToHIV’s own forms.

When the Ko-fi panel loads, your browser connects to Ko-fi. Ko-fi may receive your IP address and browser information and use cookies or similar technology under its own policies. See Ko-fi’s Privacy and Cookie Policy and PayPal’s Privacy Statement. See also Cash App’s Privacy Notice and Venmo’s Privacy Statement.

As the recipient, we may receive information PayPal, Ko-fi, Cash App, Venmo, or their payment providers share about your support, such as your name or account identifier, email address, amount, date, and any message you include. We use that information to administer support, respond to payment-related questions, and maintain financial records. Financial support does not give a supporter access to private visitor information.

Our supporter follow-up form and public recognition. After payment, we invite you to choose an optional listing on the Friends of RiseUp contributor wall and separately choose whether to publish your contribution amount. For a wall listing, you can enter a chosen display name or leave it blank to appear as Anonymous. Any optional location you enter in that section is also public. The form asks for your payment-matching name, email, platform, amount, date, public recognition choices, optional public location, and optional T-shirt request. It uses our Netlify Forms request and email-notification process. We use these details to verify support and handle your choices or shirt request; they do not subscribe you to the newsletter. We do not ask for card details or a shipping address in this form.

Your payment-matching name and email are not included in our contributor wall. We publish only the display name, optional location, and/or verified amount you authorize. An Anonymous listing does not show your name but may show the location and amount you choose to share. Choosing neither recognition option keeps your individual listing private while the contribution still counts toward the aggregate total. Public listings can be seen, copied, and indexed by others. Email info@riseuptohiv.com to change or remove recognition; removing it from our site cannot erase copies others have already made. If you request a shirt, we will follow up privately before collecting delivery details.

Venmo payment privacy. Review the transaction privacy choice in Venmo before paying. Our supporter recognition form controls what we publish on RiseUpToHIV; it does not change visibility on Venmo. A private Venmo payment is still visible to its participants and the payment service.

Your Ko-fi display name, profile image, and any public support message may appear on Ko-fi. Review the display and message-privacy options before paying. Marking a message private does not make the payment anonymous to RiseUpToHIV or the payment providers, and your display name may still appear publicly. See Ko-fi’s public and private supporter options. Our support terms cover recurring payments, cancellation, and payment questions.

Information Handling and Retention

Information is processed by the service providers described here and by the people who operate and moderate the site. We may also disclose information where required by law or to address abuse, security incidents, or legal claims. Service providers may process information in the United States or other countries under their agreements and policies.

Retention depends on the purpose: responding to a message, maintaining a listing, reviewing a contribution, keeping a published post available, or addressing security and legal requirements. We do not promise that all submissions are automatically deleted after a fixed number of days. Provider logs, backups, and previously delivered email notifications may have separate retention periods. Contact us about a specific record or removal request.

The site uses HTTPS, but no website, email service, or public contribution can be guaranteed confidential or anonymous. HIPAA applies to particular covered entities and business associates; it does not automatically protect a visit or message simply because this site discusses HIV. Other privacy laws may still apply. Learn who HIPAA covers from HHS.

AI and Editorial Tools

The AI disclosure describes tools used to create the site. The website does not include an AI chat assistant or a feature that sends the saved reading-progress record to an AI service. Publicly published pages and contributions can be accessed or indexed by outside services, including search engines and AI crawlers.

Your Choices and Requests

You can read without submitting a form, decline browser location permission, restrict cookies and scripts, clear local site data, and request correction or removal of information you have submitted. The progress dashboard manages the reading record on this browser.

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, receive a copy of, or object to certain uses of personal information, and to complain to a privacy regulator. These rights can have conditions and exceptions. Contact us to make a request; we may ask for information reasonably needed to verify it, without asking you to disclose your HIV status.

Send privacy requests to info@riseuptohiv.com. Tell us what you want to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of, and include a page or submission link if relevant. Do not send medical records, your HIV status, or identification documents in your initial message. We may request only the information reasonably needed to locate a record and verify your authority. You do not need an account to make a request.

The site is for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. Do not submit personal information if you are under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact us so we can investigate and address removal. Public contribution forms may have additional age requirements.

California, Colorado and Connecticut Privacy Rights

Privacy rights depend on the law that applies to you and to the information we process. Where applicable, these state laws provide the rights described below. Other states and countries may also provide rights, and health information may receive additional protections.

California: you may have rights to know about, access, correct, or delete personal information; opt out of its sale or sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising; limit certain uses and disclosures of sensitive personal information; and receive equal treatment when exercising your rights. California privacy rights.
Colorado and Connecticut: you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a portable copy of personal data; opt out of its sale, targeted advertising, or certain profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects; and appeal a denied request. Colorado privacy rights and Connecticut privacy rights.

We do not sell personal information, use it for targeted advertising, or use automated profiling to make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) by keeping optional Google Analytics off in this browser, even if an earlier choice allowed it. We also honor Do Not Track. Use Your Privacy Choices to check your setting. These choices do not disable essential hosting, security processing, or cookie-free hosting metrics described above.

To exercise a right, or to appeal our response, email info@riseuptohiv.com. For an appeal, use the subject “Privacy appeal” and explain which response you want reviewed. An authorized agent may contact us through the same address; we may need to verify their authority. We respond within applicable legal deadlines, explain any refusal or extension, and provide information about contacting the relevant regulator if an appeal is denied. We do not deny access to educational content because you exercise a privacy right.

Contact and Policy Updates

Contact RiseUpToHIV LLC at info@riseuptohiv.com. For what to include, see privacy requests; for an appeal, see the rights section.

We update this policy as the site and its practices change and show the update date above. This policy describes information handling; reading it or continuing to browse is not a substitute for consent wherever consent is required.