Treatment for HIV involves taking a combination of anti-HIV drugs. This treatment has a very powerful anti-HIV effect and stops the virus from reproducing.
This allows the immune system to strengthen and fight infections effectively.
To get the most benefit from your HIV treatment, you need to take it properly. This is often called ‘adherence’.
HIV treatment involves taking anti-HIV drugs every day. These cannot cure HIV. However, they can stop HIV from reproducing. This allows the immune system to stay strong.
There are now more than 20 of these drugs, although they are not all available everywhere in the world. HIV is normally treated with a combination of three different drugs. Most HIV treatment combinations are taken once or twice daily. This treatment has a very powerful anti-HIV effect. Thanks to HIV treatment, many people with the virus can hope to live a long and healthy life.
You should aim to take all the doses of your treatment. Missing just a few doses a month can mean that your treatment doesn’t work properly and your HIV may become resistant to the drugs that you are taking.
Anti-HIV drugs can interact with other some other prescribed drugs, medications you would buy from a pharmacy, herbal remedies and illegal or ‘recreational’ drugs. To reduce the risk of interactions, it’s important to tell your HIV doctor or pharmacist about any other medicines and drugs you are taking.
You’ll be monitored regularly to see if your treatment is working. If you do encounter a problem with your treatment, it should be possible to do something about it.
There’s a lot you can do to look after your physical and mental health and general wellbeing.
Leading a healthy lifestyle is a good start. This includes getting enough sleep, eating a good diet, exercising, not smoking, drinking sensible amounts of alcohol, and avoiding or moderating drug use.
Attending your clinic appointments is important and, if you are on HIV treatment, then taking it properly is a very important part of staying well.
Looking after your emotional health is also very important. It’s good to have somebody you trust who you can talk to about your feelings and discuss any problems you may have.
Living with HIV can be hard at times, and most people need the help of others from time to time. Don’t be frightened to ask for help.
If you don’t understand anything, or if you want to know more about any subject, ask your doctor! Or there may be another member of your healthcare team who can help with a particular issue.
You should feel able to ask questions or tell your doctor, or another healthcare worker, about things that are bothering you. This will be important in staying as well as possible and increasing the chances of any treatment being successful.