A Practical Guide to HIV Drug Treatment for People Living With HIV

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments and Credits
• Getting Started
  • How to Use This Guide
  • Living With HIV, Living With Treatment: The Capsule Version
• HIV and AIDS: The Basics
  • The Immune System
  • What Does HIV Do to You?
  • Monitoring Your Health
• Treating HIV
  • There's More to Health Than ART: Holistic Health
  • Working With Your Doctor
  • HIV Treatment
  • When to Start
  • Preparing to Start Treatment
  • Choosing a Drug Combination
  • Choosing the Best Combination for Me
• Once You've Started
  • How to Tell if Your Treatment Is Working
  • Making Your Treatment Work Long-Term
  • Changing Treatment
• What Next?
  • Living With HIV and ART Over the Long Haul
  • The Future of HIV Drug Treatment
• Appendices: Antiretroviral Drugs, Drug Combinations and Drug Resistance
  • Appendix A: The Viral Life Cycle and Antiretroviral Drugs
  • Appendix B: Antiretroviral Drugs Available in Canada
  • Appendix C: Building a Treatment Combination
  • Appendix D: First Combinations
  • Appendix E: Drug Resistance and Resistance Testing

Acknowledgments and Credits

CATIE would like to thank the following people for working with us to help produce this guide. Their time and knowledge were invaluable and much appreciated.

Lead Author (2011 edition)
Derek Thaczuk

Authors (previous editions)
Lark Lands
Deirdre Maclean

Editors
Sean Hosein
Debbie Koenig
David McLay, Ph.D.
RonniLyn Pustil
Tim Rogers, Ph.D.

Translation
Alain Boutilier
Jocelyne Demers-Owoka
Christiane Devaud

Design and Layout
Raymond Helkio

Illustration
Moe Asem
Beverly Deutsch
Don Short

Reviewers
Jonathan Angel, M.D.
Mara Brotman
Brian Cornelson, M.D.
Laurie Edmiston
Melissa Egan
Marianne Harris, M.D.
Patrice Junod, M.D.
Laurette Lévy
Stephen Shafran, M.D.
Darien Taylor

CATIE thanks the many people living with HIV who contributed their stories, wisdom and advice to this guide.

Production of this guide has been made possible through financial contributions from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada and ViiV Healthcare in partnership with Shire Canada.