We still don’t have a cure for HIV, and we are left trying to find ways to effectively manage HIV infection in people for the long term.
In HIV, we have “regimes” (combinations of drugs) to fight the virus. Dramatic advances have been made in HIV care, and people with HIV are living longer, healthier lives
Taking treatment
- Treatments work differently for everyone and need to fit each persons individual needs and lifestyles
- choosing treatments is complicated
- Some regimens have a lot of pills, others have very few
- Medications must be taken carefully as prescribed, or it could allow the virus to develop resistance against the drugs
Side effects
While side effects don’t occur in everyone who takes medication, those that do can be a problem.
- Side effects need to be considered before starting or changing a regime
- Taking time to consider side effects will help make wise treatment choices and plan how to manage them if they do occur.
- Some side effects are only present for a short time. They may stop or lessen while taking medication
In order to deal with the increased volume of calls dealing with treatment issues, the AIDS Helpline has expanded its services to include a specialized “Treatment Line”. The primary objective of this Line is to provide callers with immediate, telephonic access to a quality, accurate and specialised information and/or education service on antiretroviral treatment, STIs and TB. This is offered through contact with a professional nurse.