Antiretroviral Therapy
Positives and Negatives
from ACT UP/Philadelphia's Standard of Care Document
From Women Alive
Autumn 1995
A note from TheBody.com: Since this article was written, the HIV pandemic has changed, as has our understanding of HIV/AIDS and its treatment. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!
Positives
- You may experience a T-cell boost for a period of time, usually 18 weeks to 16 months, depending on the individual PWHIV/PWA.
- AZT crosses the blood/brain barrier and small doses may provide some central nervous system protection.
- It appears that combining two anti-retrovirals might work better than one.
- Provides a Do-cebo to a "Do Something" person with HIV/AIDS.
- Possible protection against vertical transmission in pregnancy.
Negatives
- Doesn't provide proven survival benefit.
- Peripheral neuropathy problems, especially with ddC and ddI.
- Dosages and combinations not well known, especially for women.
- Interactions with other drugs not well documented. Side effects may result with liver enzymes, pancreatitis, and peripheral neuropathy.
- Unknown long term side effects to children exposed during pregnancy.
A note from TheBody.com: Since this article was written, the HIV pandemic has changed, as has our understanding of HIV/AIDS and its treatment. As a result, parts of this article may be outdated. Please keep this in mind, and be sure to visit other parts of our site for more recent information!
This article was provided by
Women Alive.
It is a part of the publication Women Alive Newsletter.
Email
Print-Friendly
Glossary
