FAQs

What do I have to do to stay healthy?

Everyone has physical and mental health needs. Staying physically well when you've got HIV means keeping a low viral load. And for most people, that means taking anti-HIV medication.
You and your doctor need to be realistic in the medication you choose. Side effects or complicated dosing shouldn't be upsetting, or prevent you from taking your medication properly. If that happens, you can develop drug resistance where your medication stops working – and that's dangerous to your health.

To stay on top of things mentally, the best thing you can do is keep being you – the same person you were before you were diagnosed. Acknowledge and respect your disease and your responsibilities, but don't let them rule your life. Stay close to the people that you trust and have good conversations with. They can be healthcare workers, friends, members of your family, your church etc. There are also links to some support groups over here.

How long do I have to live?

HIV used to be seen as a fatal disease. Improvements in anti-HIV medication mean people are living longer, so that it's now seen as more of a long-term, chronic disease.

However, HIV and its treatment are quite new in the world of science, so no-one can say for certain how your life expectancy compares with that of an HIV-negative person. Of course, not even the healthiest of us can tell how long we will live.

For HIV-positive people, life expectancy is better if you were diagnosed soon after you were infected. To aim for a long healthy life, look after yourself, stay in touch with your healthcare team and take your medication properly.

Will my medication cure me of HIV/ AIDS?

Anti-HIV medications help you live a longer, healthier life, but none of them can totally remove HIV from your body. There is no cure for HIV or AIDS at the moment.

How does my medication work?

Your medication helps stop the HIV virus from copying itself and multiplying in your body. This helps keep your viral load low, which helps your CD4 count to increase. Find out more here.

What happens if I don't take the drugs?

Your doctor will let you know if and when you need to start taking medication. Once you're on medication, it's very important that you keep taking it as you're meant to. This is called adherence. If you don't take your medication regularly, your viruses can develop drug resistance to it. That means you can lose control of your viral load and risk progressing to AIDS.

Read more about adherence here.
Read more about drug resistance here.

What happens when HIV enters the body?

Check out our short video on this. To summarise, the HIV virus enters immune system cells via the CD4 protein and starts copying itself. It destroys these cells, and the new copies go on to infect new immune system cells. This process can happen slowly or quickly. The only way you can tell how fast your HIV is progressing, and when you should start medication, is by having blood tests and talking to your doctor.

Why do I need to take lots of different medications?

Different anti-HIV medications fight HIV in different ways. Taking more than one minimises the virus's ability to multiply and helps prevent it developing drug resistance to your medication.

Find out more about combination therapy here.
Find out more about drug resistance here.

What does viral load mean?

Your viral load is a measure of the number of copies of HIV in a blood sample. The smaller the viral load, the better. An important goal of therapy is to get the viral load to undetectable levels, which means less than 50 HIV copies in a blood sample. This means your medication is still working and you are less likely to get ill.

There are lots of different strains of HIV and not all of them are picked up in every viral load test. That's why you may need more than one test for an accurate result.

Find out more about viral load here.

Does an undetectable viral load mean I'm cured?

No. When we say the viral load is undetectable, this doesn't mean you are cured. It doesn't mean that the virus has been removed from the body entirely, but that the amount of virus remaining is very small.

Find out more about viral load here.

What does CD4 count mean?

CD4 are proteins on the outside of your infection-fighting cells. The HIV virus attacks these cells and damages your immune system. The HIV virus attacks the infection-fighting cells to make copies of itself and destroys them in the process. This reduces the ability of the immune system to fight infection and can lead to AIDS.

Your CD4 count is a measure of the number of CD4 in a sample of your blood (one cubic millimeter or mm³). It's a good way to tell how strong your immune system is.

• A normal CD4 count for a person without HIV is about 500–1200 cells/mm³.
• A CD4 count between 500 and 200 shows that your immune system has been slightly damaged by HIV.
• If your CD4 count is below 350, you will need to think about starting treatment.

Find out more about CD4 count here.

It's hard taking all these tablets. Can I take a break now and then?

Adherence means taking your medications exactly as they were prescribed. If you stop taking one or more of your medicines, your viral load can increase and your CD4 count can drop. This can make your disease worse and lead to illness and even death. Please speak to your doctor if you are thinking about not taking your treatment as prescribed.

Find out more about adherence here.

OK, I'll keep taking them all – but does it matter if I skip the occasional tablet?

It's all about adherence. If you skip doses or don't take all of your pills, there won't be enough of the medication in your bloodstream to stop the virus from multiplying. This can increase your risk of developing drug resistance to one or more of the medications you are taking.

Find out more about adherence here.

What if I forget to take a tablet?

Take it as soon as possible. But if you only remember a few hours before your next dose is due, don't take the forgotten dose - you'll end up taking twice as much in one go. So just take your next dose and make an effort to get it right the following time. Talk with your doctor if you are regularly forgetting doses or aren't taking them all for whatever reason.

Find out more about adherence here.

Can I drive a car or operate machinery while taking my medications?

If any medication is making you drowsy, dizzy or unable to concentrate, you need to be extra careful. Speak to your doctor if you experience these effects.

Can I take my anti-HIV medications with other medications?

Anti-HIV medication can have drug interaction with many other medications, including prescription medications, over-the-counter products, recreational drugs and herbal preparations. This can change the effectiveness of the medications or cause serious side effects. Tell your doctor about any other medications or products you take, to help them manage any interactions.

Find out more about drug interactions here.

What about drinking and recreational drugs?

Alcohol doesn't affect anti-HIV medication, but drinking too much can affect your adherence. Street drugs and recreational drugs can interact with your medications. Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you use other drugs occasionally or heavily. They will do what they can to protect your health and listen to you in confidence.

Find out more about drug interactions here.

Why do my medications have two names?

These are the generic and brand names. The generic is the name of the active ingredient in the medication. The brand name is for marketing and is displayed prominently on the packaging and sometimes on the capsule or tablet.

Can this medication harm my health?

Anti-HIV medications are tested for safety before they become available. But like all medications, they carry the risk of side effects. Not everyone gets side effects, and there's usually something you and your doctor can do to manage them. However, some side effects can be more serious and long-lasting.

Find out more about side effects here.

What if I get pregnant, or want to become pregnant?

Many HIV-positive women who are on anti-HIV medication give birth to normal healthy babies. But this isn't something you should plan on your own.

If you want to become pregnant, tell your doctor, who will make sure you are on the most suitable medication. Some medications should not be taken during pregnancy because they can harm the unborn baby. Others have been shown to be good at preventing mother-to-baby transmission of HIV. Your doctor or healthcare team will also be able to provide information on child care for HIV-positive parents.

What side effects should I expect?

Different medications have different potential side effects. The more common ones are listed in your side effect diary, but it's important to ask your doctor what side effects to expect from your particular medication and how to manage them.

Find out more about side effects here.

I'm scared of lipoatrophy, what is it exactly?

Some anti-HIV medications can change the way your body stores fat. Lipoatrophy means a loss of body fat from some areas of the body, such as the arms, legs and face. It can make you look more bony or make your veins stick out more. If this bothers you, talk to your doctor about treatments that aren't likely to cause this side effect.

What's lipodystrophy? Find out here.

Find out more about side effects here.

What will I look like in the future?

Some HIV-positive people look different after a few years, as a result of the disease or medication. Others don't change considerably. What happens to you depends on how healthy you are and the medications you're on. Speak to your doctor about the medications that are effective, that you can stick to in the long term and that have less risk of visible or unpleasant side effects.

Find out more about side effects here.

Do I need time off to get used to my new medication?

Many people carry on as normal when they start HIV treatment but some need time to adjust. If you have the option, it might be a good idea to start HIV treatment when you can take some time off, or even on a weekend.

Find out more about changing medication here.

Can I still go on holiday?

Absolutely, if you're feeling well. Take extra medication with you – in a money belt or handbag if possible – just in case you lose your luggage or you're delayed in coming home.

Some countries have rules about HIV-positive people entering, so check the situation before booking your ticket.

Some anti-HIV medications can deteriorate in heat or humidity, and have to be stored and transported carefully. Check the leaflet that comes with your medication.

Changing time zones can make it difficult to take your medication at the same time each day. If you are gone for less than five days, it's best to stick to taking it at your usual home dosing times. If you're away for longer, try to adjust your dosing times to the new time zone as quickly as possible without missing doses.