Treatment also confers enormous prevention benefits—in research studies conducted to date, no case of HIV transmission has been linked to someone who had a suppressed viral load. U.S. clinical guidelines recommend that all people who are diagnosed with HIV receive treatment, regardless of how long they have had the virus or how healthy they are.
Full Answer
What are the treatment options for HIV infection?
Routine care and treatment is the best way to keep people with HIV (PWH) healthy. PWH who take medication as prescribed can achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load (or viral suppression), resulting in effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to their sexual partners.
What should I do if I think I have HIV?
People who think they may have been exposed to HIV should practice abstinence to avoid spreading the virus. In an HIV test, a person's blood is tested for antibodies to HIV. If antibodies are detected, a second test is done to verify the result. A person who is diagnosed as being infected with HIV is said to be HIV-positive.
Who should be tested for HIV?
HIV testing is recommended for all persons seeking STI evaluation who are not already known to have HIV infection. Testing should be routine at the time of the STI evaluation, regardless of whether the patient reports any specific behavioral risks for HIV.
Should people with HIV/TB coinfection be treated for HIV and TB?
People with HIV/TB coinfection should be treated for both HIV and TB; however, when to start treatment and what medicines to take depends on a person’s individual circumstances. Taking certain HIV and TB medicines at the same time can increase the risk of drug-drug interactions and side effects.
Why do HIV positive people receive treatments?
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 treatment can make the viral load very low (viral suppression). Viral suppression means having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood.
What is the treatment for someone who is HIV positive?
The treatment for HIV is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART involves taking a combination of HIV medicines (called an HIV treatment regimen) every day. ART is recommended for everyone who has HIV. ART cannot cure HIV, but HIV medicines help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives.
Can an HIV positive person on treatment infect others?
How does being durably undetectable affect my risk of transmitting HIV to a sexual partner? People living with HIV who take antiretroviral medications daily as prescribed and who achieve and then maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.
Which might a person who is HIV positive experience?
Rapid weight loss. Recurring fever or profuse night sweats. Extreme and unexplained tiredness. Prolonged swelling of the lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck.
How many times can you take PEP?
The sooner you start, the better it works — every hour matters. You take PEP 1-2 times a day for at least 28 days. The medicines used in PEP are called antiretroviral medications (ART). These medicines work by stopping HIV from spreading through your body.
Can you test positive while on PEP?
When should I have an HIV test after taking PEP? It is recommended that you be tested at 2 time points after starting PEP. The first test at 6 weeks can detect early HIV infection. If the test is positive, early detection has the benefit of being able to start HIV treatment as soon after infection as possible.
What is the difference between hiv1 and hiv2?
HIV-1 is the most common type of HIV and accounts for 95% of all infections, whereas HIV-2 is relatively uncommon and less infectious. HIV-2 is mainly concentrated in West Africa and the surrounding countries. HIV-2 is less fatal and progresses more slowly than HIV-1.
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...
Timely and Accessible HIV Treatment: A Critical Need
While the health and prevention benefits of ART are clear, only 54.7 percent of people living in the United States with diagnosed HIV infection are...
Disparities in HIV Treatment and Care
There are numerous disparities in HIV treatment and care among certain subpopulations in the U.S. For example, CDC’s report on monitoring indicates...
National Priorities: Improving Access to HIV Care and Increasing Viral Suppression
The scientific data showing the benefits of early HIV treatment for health of people living with HIV and prevention informed the National HIV/AIDS...
Measuring Progress: Improving The Health of People With HIV
By 2020, the Strategy aims to increase the percentage of newly diagnosed persons linked to HIV medical care within one month of their HIV diagnosis...
What is the treatment for HIV?
HIV treatment involves taking medicines that slow the progression of the virus in your body. HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, and the combination of drugs used to treat it is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART is recommended for all people living with HIV, regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they are.
Why do you prescribe HIV?
Your health care provider may prescribe medicines to prevent certain infections. HIV treatment is most likely to be successful when you know what to expect and are committed to taking your medicines exactly as prescribed.
What is drug resistance in HIV?
What Is HIV Drug Resistance? Drug resistance can be a cause of treatment failure for people living with HIV. As HIV multiplies in the body, it sometimes mutates (changes form) and produces variations of itself. Variations of HIV that develop while a person is taking ART can lead to drug-resistant strains of HIV.
How long do HIV side effects last?
Some side effects can occur once you start a medicine and may only last a few days or weeks.
How soon can you start ART for HIV?
Treatment guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend that a person living with HIV begin ART as soon as possible after diagnosis. Starting ART slows the progression of HIV and can keep you healthy for many years.
Is HIV treatment a prevention?
There is also a major prevention benefit. People living with HIV who take HIV medication daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners. This is called treatment as prevention.
Can HIV be drug resistant?
A person can initially be infected with drug-resistant HIV or develop drug-resistant HIV after starting HIV medicines. Drug-resistant HIV also can spread from person to person. Drug-resistance testing identifies which, if any, HIV medicines won’t be effective against your specific strain of HIV.
What are the roles of federal agencies in HIV care?
Federal agencies play a variety of roles in supporting HIV care and treatment for people living with HIV in the United States. Some deliver HIV clinical services, others help pay for HIV care and treatment, while others provide housing, training, employment, or income supports that assist people living with HIV to remain in care ...
How does early HIV treatment help?
The Strategy calls for a concerted national effort to improve health outcomes for people living with HIV by establishing seamless systems to link people to treatment and care immediately after diagnosis. The Strategy also calls for efforts to support maintenance in care; increase the capacity of health and social support systems; and increase the number and diversity of professionals who provide clinical care and related services to those with HIV. Further, the Strategy supports comprehensive, patient-centered care for people living with HIV, including addressing co-occurring health conditions and challenges in meeting basic needs, such as housing, which can cause individuals to leave care and treatment.
What are the disparities in HIV treatment?
There are numerous disparities in HIV treatment and care among certain subpopulations in the U.S. For example, CDC’s report on monitoring indicates that African Americans living with diagnosed HIV infection have percentages of linkage to care and viral suppression that are lower than whites and far below national goals.
How does HIV affect the immune system?
HIV is a virus that can multiply quickly and damage the body’s immune system , making it hard to fight off infections and cancers. While no cure exists for HIV infection, effective treatment is available. Today, there are more than 30 antiretroviral drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV infection. When used consistently, antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce the amount of virus in the blood and body fluids to very low or undetectable levels (known as viral suppression). As a result, people living with HIV who start ART early, remain on treatment, and achieve and maintain viral suppression can stay healthy and live a near-normal lifespan. Treatment also confers enormous prevention benefits—in research studies conducted to date, no case of HIV transmission has been linked to someone who had a suppressed viral load. U.S. clinical guidelines recommend that all people who are diagnosed with HIV receive treatment, regardless of how long they have had the virus or how healthy they are.
What is the HIV rate in 2020?
By 2020, the Strategy aims to increase the percentage of newly diagnosed persons linked to HIV medical care within one month of their HIV diagnosis to at least 85 percent ; increase the percentage of persons with diagnosed HIV infection who are retained in HIV medical care by at least 90 percent ; and increase the percentage of persons with diagnosed HIV infection who are virally suppressed to at least 80 percent. Further, the Strategy’s targets include reducing the percentage of persons in HIV medical care who are homeless to no more than 5 percent, and reducing the death rate among persons with diagnosed HIV infection by at least 33 percent.
How does ART help HIV?
When used consistently, antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce the amount of virus in the blood and body fluids to very low or undetectable levels (known as viral suppression). As a result, people living with HIV who start ART early, remain on treatment, and achieve and maintain viral suppression can stay healthy and live a near-normal lifespan.
How much of HIV can be prevented?
CDC has found that more than 90 percent of new HIV infections could be averted by diagnosing people living with HIV and ensuring they receive prompt, ongoing care and treatment.
How does HIV medicine work?
HIV medicine works by lowering the amount of virus in your body to very low levels. HIV medicine can make the viral load so low that a test can’t detect it (called an undetectable viral load ). HIV medicine slows the progression of HIV and helps protect your immune system.
What are the emotions that people feel when they have HIV?
People can feel many emotions—sadness, hopelessness, or anger. Allied health care providers and social service providers, often available at your health care provider’s office, will have the tools to help you work through the early stages of your diagnosis and begin to manage your HIV. Learn more about living with HIV.
Why is it important to have an undetectable viral load?
Having an undetectable viral load also helps prevent transmitting the virus to others. For example, if you have an undetectable viral load, you have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex. Learn more about being newly diagnosed with HIV and about protecting others.
What does it mean if a lab test is positive?
If the follow-up test is also positive, it means you have HIV (or are HIV-posi tive). It is important that you start medical care and begin HIV treatment ...
What to do if you have a positive antibody test?
If you use any type of antibody test and have a positive result, you will need another (follow-up) test to confirm your results. If you test in a community testing program or take a self-test and it’s positive, you should go to a health care provider to get follow-up testing. If your test is done in a health care setting or a lab and it’s positive, ...
Can you get AIDS if you are HIV positive?
No. Being HIV-positive does not mean you have AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV disease. HIV can lead to AIDS if a person does not get treatment or take care of their health.
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.
