HIV Medications: The Basics

Forget what you've heard about treatment for HIV. HIV treatment in 2006 is a world away from what it was even two years ago. Important new medications and older, proven medications can now be taken less frequently with reduced side effects.

Nonetheless, choosing HIV medications and determining when to begin treatment are big decisions. Fortunately, newly infected people not on treatment typically can go 10 years without a single symptom. This means that when you test positive for HIV, depending on when you were infected and what your test results are, it's usually OK to wait to make an informed decision about using HIV medications.

But as soon as you test positive, the first thing you must do is find the most experienced HIV specialist you can. To do this, you can ask for referrals at an AIDS organization in your area.

To determine if you need to take HIV medications, your doctor will take at least two blood tests:

a viral load test to see how much HIV is in your bloodstream, and
a T-cell test, also known as a CD4 count, which tests how strong your immune system is.

Based on both your T-cell test and viral load test results, you and your doctor will have a clear picture of how HIV has progressed in your body and when you should start taking HIV medications.

Generally, every three to six months you should visit your doctor for a checkup to find out if the HIV in your body is progressing. When you and your doctor decide you are ready to start taking HIV medications, there are some things you should think about. We hope this booklet will help guide you through the process!

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