'Tis the Season for Adherence: Holiday Tips for Living Well With HIV

Between Your Wallet and a Hard Place

You're buying presents for your parents, your siblings, your nieces and nephews. You're bringing bottles of wine to others' holiday parties. You're giving to charities. Yes, it's the season of giving, but charity starts at home. The best present you can give to your loved ones is your physical health. Don't cut corners with your meds to afford presents for others. Financial stress -- or too many money problems -- can lead to physical problems, including adherence issues.

"Meds: My meds are what keep me undetectable. Money: Money is what keeps me from sometimes getting my meds," HIV-positive working mom Brooke Davidoff writes; "My new health insurance is not so easy. I have to go into the pharmacy and pay for the meds at the time of pickup. I don't always have money in the bank when I need my refill."

Read more about Brooke's past challenges paying for HIV meds, or watch a video on the topic featuring Brooke, her husband and young son.