When to Start Anti-HIV Medications
When to Start Anti-HIV Medications
I just tested HIV positive. When will I start
treatment?
Antiretroviral therapy (ART)
is recommended for all
people infected with HIV. ART involves taking a
combination of anti-HIV medications (a regimen) every
day. ART is a lifelong treatment.
When to start anti-HIV medications (also called antiretrovirals) is a decision you will make with your health
care provider. You and your health care provider will consider
the following factors:
•
How well your immune system is working (CD4 count)
•
e amount of HIV in your blood (viral load)
•
Whether you have an HIV-related illness or AIDS
•
Whether you’re pregnant
•
Your ability and willingness to commit to lifelong
treatment
Can anti-HIV medications really help?
Yes. Anti-HIV medications can’t cure HIV, but treatment
can improve your quality of life and help you live longer.
HIV attacks and destroys the infectionghting CD4 cells of
the body’s immune system. Loss of CD4 cells makes it hard
for the body to ght infection. Anti-HIV medications can
prevent HIV from multiplying. is reduces the amount of
HIV in the body, giving the immune system a chance to
recover and produce more infectionghting CD4 cells. Once
a person starts taking anti-HIV medications, an increase in
CD4 cells is a sign that the immune system is recovering.
How long does it take for treatment to work?
Once you start treatment—and take your anti-HIV
medications exactly as directed—it’s possible to have an
undetectable viral load
within 3 to 6 months. An
undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in your
blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test. You aren’t
cured. ere is still some HIV in your body. But an
undetectable viral load indicates that your anti-HIV
medications are working eectively to keep you healthier and
reduce your risk of transmitting HIV.
Terms Used in This Fact Sheet:
Antiretroviral:
A medication that prevents a retrovirus,
such as HIV, from making copies of itself. Anti-HIV
medications are also called antiretrovirals.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART):
The recommended
treatment for HIV. ART involves taking a combination of
three or more anti-HIV medications from at least two
different drug classes every day to control the virus.
CD4 count:
The number of CD4 cells in a sample of
blood. A CD4 count measures ho
w well the immune
system is working.
Drug class:
A group of medications that work in the same
way.
Regimen:
A combination of three or more anti-HIV
medications from at least two different drug classes.
Undete
ctable viral load:
When the amount of HIV in a
person’s blood is too low to be detected with a viral load
test.
Viral load:
The amount of HIV in the blood. One of the
goals of antire
troviral therapy is to reduce viral load.
What treatment is right for me?
e U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
provides guidelines on using anti-HIV medications to treat
HIV infection. e HHS guidelines recommend starting
treatment with a regimen of three or more anti-HIV
medications from at least two dierent
drug classes
. (See the
FDA-Approved Anti-HIV Medications
fact sheet.) e HHS
guidelines list preferred ART regimens. (See the
Recommended HIV Treatment Regimens
fact sheet.)
Because people’s needs vary, the preferred regimens may not
be right for everyone. You and your health care provider will
consider your individual needs to select the most eective
regimen for you.
For more information:
Contact an AIDS
info
health information specialist at 1-800
448-0440 or visit
http://aidsinfo.nih.gov
. See your health
care provider for medical advice.
This information is based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
Guidelines for the Use of
Reviewed
Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents
available at
http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines
• If you’re not already a subscriber,
request a free subscription to our
gods-word by gaurav pawar daily artical -magazine
The Good News at
• While you’re at it, also request a
free subscription to our
World News
and good-nwse
newsletter
No comments:
Post a Comment