AIDS is an infectious disease caused by HIV. Understanding the causes and symptoms of HIV is critical in the treatment of HIV. Read more at Meri Sehat.

HIV | Causes | Symptoms | Treatment | Meri Sehat

I Have HIV, What Are My Treatment Options?

Introduction

<a href="https://www.merisehat.pk/disease/hiv-61">HIV treatment</a> involves antiretroviral therapy (ART), a highly effective medicine that controls the virus. It is recommended for everyone who has HIV to start ART as soon as possible after they have been diagnosed.

People who are on ART take a combination of HIV medicines and this is called an HIV treatment regimen. The regimen usually comprises three HIV medicines from two drug classes. However, a prescription is required for this regimen.&nbsp;

There are multiple options between two and three different HIV drugs that are combined into one pill. A long-acting HIV injection is given every two months. Uniferon by Getz Pharma is an injectable medication that is used to treat AIDS-related Kaposi&rsquo;s Sarcoma in patients 18 years and older. However, you need to get approval from your healthcare provider before taking injections, as you need to meet certain requirements.

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Understanding Treatment Options In HIV

When HIV medicines reduces the amount of HIV in your blood i.e., the viral load is reduced to a very low level, viral suppression, having less than 200 copies of HIV per millilitre of blood, allows the immune system to continue its job and keep illnesses at bay.&nbsp;

HIV medicines decrease the viral load to the extent that it is undetectable during standard lab tests and almost everyone taking medication for HIV can achieve this as soon as six months post commencing treatment. However, it might take a while for this to be achieved by a small portion of people who have just started HIV medication.

There are some important prevention benefits to getting the viral load to a low level. People with undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to their HIV-negative partners who are.

Treatment for HIV is successful when make a commitment to taking your medications religiously. You can develop a treatment plan by working with your healthcare provider. Moreover, you can learn about how you can manage HIV effectively.

Leaving HIV untreated means that HIV will attack the immune system, allowing different opportunistic infections and cancers to develop. Some of the conditions are also life-threatening. Moreover, these are some kinds of infections that don&rsquo;t usually affect healthy individuals but can affect people who are not on treatment, e.g., immunocompromised individuals.&nbsp;

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<ul dir="ltr">
	<li>You should start treatment as soon as you have been diagnosed with HIV, which helps in slowing down the proliferation of the virus.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>The same is true for pregnant women who are HIV positive, as this will prevent the transmission of the virus to their growing babies.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If you have been diagnosed with HIV and aren&rsquo;t taking any medications, it is best to see your healthcare provider and get on treatment right away.</li>
</ul>

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Just like any other medication, HIV also has side effects. However, everyone does not experience them. The HIV medicines that are used today have fewer side effects. Furthermore, the side effects differ for each patient. Some of the common side effects of HIV medications include the following:

<ul>
	<li>Pain</li>
	<li>Dizziness</li>
	<li>Nausea</li>
	<li>Vomiting</li>
	<li>Diarrhoea</li>
	<li>Fatigue</li>
	<li>Headache</li>
	<li>Rash</li>
</ul>

The side effects of HIV medicines are more common in women compared to men<a href="#accordion">[1]</a>.&nbsp;

Note: If you have side effects and want to stop taking your medication, consult your healthcare provider before making the decision. 
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Key Points

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</ul>

<ul>
	<li>HIV is treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), and it is very effective in reducing the viral load.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>ART is not a cure for HIV as the virus remains in the body, but the levels are reduced to undetectable levels. Hence, HIV patients should continue taking their medications according to their prescriptions.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Long-acting injectable HIV medication is currently available for patients with a specific profile.</li>
</ul>

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[1] Floridia, M., Giuliano, M., Palmisano, L. and Vella, S., 2008. Gender differences in the treatment of HIV infection. Pharmacological research, 58(3-4), pp.173-182.

[2] Kemnic, T.R. and Gulick, P.G., 2018. HIV antiretroviral therapy.

[3] Volberding, P.A., 2017. HIV Treatment and Prevention: An overview of recommendations from the 2016 IAS–USA Antiretroviral Guidelines Panel. Topics in antiviral medicine, 25(1), p.17.

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