
A main goal of HIV treatment is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level. An undetectable viral loadmeans that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test. People with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners through sex.
What are the primary goals of care for HIV infection?
Finding a cure, regaining health and independence, and increasing the length of the patient's life are not the primary goals of care. The primary health care provider (PHP) prescribes an iron supplement to a patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to treat anemia.
What does a nurse provide to a patient newly diagnosed with HIV?
A nurse is providing education to a patient newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The patient demonstrates an understanding of the disease by stating the disease progression will be monitored with which laboratory value?
What are the treatment recommendations for HIV infection?
The following recommendations apply to managing persons with diagnosed HIV infection: Link persons with HIV infection to care and start them on ART as soon as possible. Report cases (in accordance with local requirements) to public health and initiate partner services. Provide prevention counseling to persons with diagnosed HIV infection.
Why is early HIV diagnosis and treatment important?
Early HIV diagnosis and treatment is thus not only vital for individual health but also as a public health intervention to prevent new infections. Knowledge of the prevention benefit of treatment can help reduce stigma and increase the person’s commitment to start and remain adherent to ART ( 423 ).

What is the recommended treatment of HIV infection?
The most effective treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is a combination of several medicines that aims to control the amount of virus in your body. Antiretroviral medicines slow the rate at which the virus grows.
What are the three main goals of HIV treatment?
The guidelines state that the primary goals of antiretroviral therapy are to maintain maximal suppression of the viral load (i.e., fewer than 50 copies per mL), restore or preserve immunologic function, improve quality of life and reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality.
What are the five goals of antiretroviral therapy?
Thus, once initiated, ART should be continued, with the following key treatment goals:Maximally and durably suppress plasma HIV RNA;Restore and preserve immunologic function;Reduce HIV-associated morbidity and prolong the duration and quality of survival; and.Prevent HIV transmission.
What is the treatment and prevention of HIV?
Overview. People with HIV should take medicine to treat HIV as soon as possible. HIV medicine is called antiretroviral therapy, or ART. If taken as prescribed, HIV medicine reduces the amount of HIV in the body (viral load) to a very low level, which keeps the immune system working and prevents illness.
Which are the two main goals of antiretroviral therapy ART )?
Introduction. The primary goal of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is to prevent HIV-associated morbidity and mortality.
What is the goal of combination antiretroviral therapy?
Treatment that uses a combination of three or more drugs to treat HIV infection. Combination antiretroviral therapy stops the virus from making copies of itself in the body. This may lessen the damage to the immune system caused by HIV and may slow down the development of AIDS.
Is PrEP treatment as prevention?
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is medicine taken to prevent getting HIV. PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken as prescribed. PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99%. PrEP reduces the risk of getting HIV from injection drug use by at least 74%.
What is HIV treatment?
HIV treatment (antiretroviral therapy or ART) involves taking medicine as prescribed by a health care provider. HIV treatment reduces the amount of...
When should I start HIV treatment?
Start HIV treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis. All people with HIV should take HIV treatment, no matter how long they’ve had HIV or how h...
What if I delay HIV treatment?
If you delay treatment, HIV will continue to harm your immune system. Delaying treatment will put you at higher risk for transmitting HIV to your p...
Are there different types of HIV treatment?
There are two types of HIV treatment: pills and shots. Pills are recommended for people who are just starting HIV treatment. There are many FDA-app...
What are HIV treatment shots?
HIV treatment shots are long-acting injections used to treat people with HIV. The shots are given by your health care provider and require routine...
Can I switch my HIV treatment from pills to shots?
Talk to your health care provider about changing your HIV treatment plan. Shots may be right for you if you are an adult with HIV who has an undete...
What are the benefits of taking my HIV treatment as prescribed?
HIV treatment reduces the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load). Taking your HIV medicine as prescribed will help keep your viral load low. HIV t...
Does HIV treatment cause side effects?
HIV treatment can cause side effects in some people. However, not everyone experiences side effects. The most common side effects are Nausea and vo...
What should I do if I’m thinking about having a baby?
Let your health care provider know if you or your partner is pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. They will determine the right type of HIV...
Can I take birth control while on HIV treatment?
You can use any method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. However, some HIV treatment may make hormone-based birth control less effective. Talk...
Diagnostic Considerations
HIV infection can be diagnosed by HIV 1/2 Ag/Ab combination immunoassays. All FDA-cleared HIV tests are highly sensitive and specific. Available serologic tests can detect all known subtypes of HIV-1. The majority also detect HIV-2 and uncommon variants of HIV-1 (e.g., group O and group N).
Acute HIV Infection
Providers serving persons at risk for STIs are in a position to diagnose HIV infection during its acute phase.
Treatment
ART should be initiated as soon as possible for all persons with HIV infection regardless of CD4+ T-cell count, both for individual health and to prevent HIV transmission ( https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/guidelines/adult-and-adolescent-arv/whats-new-guidelines external icon ).
Other HIV Management Considerations
Behavioral and psychosocial services are integral to caring for persons with HIV infection. Providers should expect persons to be distressed when first informed that they have HIV.
STI Screening of Persons with HIV Infection in HIV Care Settings
At the initial HIV care visit, providers should screen all sexually active persons for syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and perform screening for these infections at least annually during the course of HIV care ( 425 ). Specific testing includes syphilis serology and NAAT for N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis at the anatomic site of exposure.
Partner Services and Reporting
Partner notification is a key component in the evaluation of persons with HIV infection. Early diagnosis and treatment of HIV among all potentially exposed sexual and injecting drug sharing partners can improve their health and reduce new infections.
Special Considerations
All pregnant women should be tested for HIV during the first prenatal visit.
How is HIV transmitted?
c. HIV is most commonly transmitted via tears and saliva. d. HIV enters the body through breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. d. HIV enters the body through breaks in the skin or mucous membranes. The nurse is monitoring a patient with AIDS.
How does HIV spread?
HIV spreads by contact with infected blood. c. HIV can be spread by sharing eating utensils. d. HIV is commonly transmitted by tears or saliva. HIV spreads by contact with infected blood. A patient who has AIDS expresses concern about telling others about the illness.
What is the role of a nurse in HIV?
A nurse caring for a patient newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is providing education on ways to delay the progression of HIV. When asked about social habits, the patient reveals that she uses intravenous drugs, smokes 50 cigarettes per day, and uses condoms with her multiple sex partners.
What is care planning in HIV?
In the end stages of HIV/AIDS, care planning is centered on managing the patient's symptoms and improving his or her quality of life.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is transmitted from human to human via infected blood, semen, cervicovaginal secretions, and breast milk. HIV is transmitted from human to human via infected blood, semen, cervicovaginal secretions, and breast milk. HIV transmission is dependent on the presence of the virus, the infectiousness of the virus, ...
What is the most common mode of HIV transmission?
Sexual transmission remains the most common mode of HIV transmission in the world today and is responsible for the majority of the world's total acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases. Sexual activity provides the potential for exchange of semen, cervicovaginal secretions, and blood.
What is the end stage of HIV?
AIDS is used to describe the end stage, or terminal phase, of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. AIDS is used to describe the end stage, or terminal phase, of HIV infection.
What is the name of the virus that causes AIDS?
Lymphadenopathy-associated virus was named in 1983 by researchers in France; it was believed to be the agent responsible for AIDS. After observing the diagnostic reports of a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the primary health care provider prescribes fluvastatin (Lescol).
How long does it take to get antiretroviral therapy?
A 28-day supply of antiretroviral therapy. When a person is exposed to body fluids from a patient with HIV during a high-risk activity less than 72 hours before seeking treatment, the exposed person should receive a 28-day supply of antiretroviral therapy.
