If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with HIV, it's important to understand the role of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in HIV treatment. ART is a combination of HIV medicines that can greatly improve the quality of life and longevity of those who live with the disease.
ART works by reducing the amount of virus in the body, which helps the immune system recover and produce more CD4 cells. CD4 cells are important infection-fighting cells of the immune system that are attacked and destroyed by the HIV virus.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical treatment for thousands of People Who Live With HIV (PWLWH), and it can help them to live long, healthy lives.
One of the main goals of HIV treatment is to lower a person's viral load so much that it can't be found. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test. People with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex.
People with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as possible after an HIV diagnosis.
Women with HIV who become pregnant and are not already taking HIV medicines should also start taking them as soon as possible. The choice of an HIV treatment regimen depends on a person's individual needs, and many factors are considered, including possible side effects and drug interactions with other medications they may be on. For instance, those living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) have complex challenges in their treatment options
Taking HIV medicines every day and exactly as prescribed (called medication adherence) reduces the risk of drug resistance. And while HIV medicines can cause side effects, most are manageable, and the benefits far outweigh the risks. Newer HIV medicines cause fewer side effects than medicines used in the past.
There are many resources available for people with HIV who want to learn more about HIV treatment. Our website has infographics, fact sheets, and explainers on the different aspects of HIV treatment, and the lived experience of those who live with HIV.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical treatment for thousands of People Who Live With HIV (PWLWH), and it can help them to live long, healthy lives. ART powerfully reduces the amount of virus in the body, helping your immune system to recover and produce more vital CD4 cells. To lower the risk of drug resistance, it's important to take your medications as prescribed, and when recommending an HIV treatment plan, you and your doctors should carefully consider how different drugs might interact with each other. With the right treatment and care, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to their loved ones.
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