HIV and Its Treatment: What You Should Know

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Testing HIV Positive -- Do I Have AIDS?
• Seeing an HIV Doctor
• Starting Anti-HIV Medications
• Recommended HIV Treatment Regimens
• Approved Medications to Treat HIV Infection
• Is My Treatment Regimen Working?
• HIV Treatment Regimen Failure
• Changing My HIV Treatment Regimen
• What is Treatment Adherence?
• Adhering to My HIV Treatment Regimen
• Understanding HIV Prevention

Introduction

These fact sheets are intended for use by people recently diagnosed with HIV infection or those who are considering starting HIV treatment. The fact sheets are designed as a series, but can also be used as stand-alone documents. Information in these fact sheets is based on Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, which is convened by the HHS in conjunction with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Guidelines, which is a "living document," provides updates on new advances in the treatment of HIV. The current version of the document is available on the AIDSinfo Web site: http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/guidelines/.