what is the treatment for aids

Medication

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. Taking these medicines can reduce the amount of virus in your body and help you stay healthy.

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HIV medicine is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is no effective cure for HIV. But with proper medical care, you can control HIV. Most people can get the virus under control within six months. Taking HIV medicine does not prevent transmission of other …

What is the life expectancy of AIDS without treatment?

Aug 16, 2021 · Key Points The treatment for HIV is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART involves taking a combination of HIV medicines (called... ART is recommended for everyone who has HIV. People with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as possible. ART... A main goal of HIV treatment is to reduce ...

What are the three common medications used for AIDS?

Mar 29, 2019 · 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).

What are the current treatment options for AIDS?

Many people are able to control their HIV with just one pill a day. Early treatment with antiretrovirals can prevent HIV-positive people from getting AIDS and the diseases it …

What to do to overcome HIV AIDS?

Mar 26, 2022 · There's no cure for HIV/AIDS, but medications can control the infection and prevent progression of the disease. Antiviral treatments for HIV have reduced AIDS deaths around the world, and international organizations are working to increase the availability of prevention measures and treatment in resource-poor countries.

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HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). There is currently no effective cure. Once people get HIV, they have it for life. But with proper medical care, HIV can be …

What is the name of treatment for AIDS?

The treatment of HIV/AIDS with medicines is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). It is recommended for everyone who has HIV. The medicines do not cure HIV infection, but they do make it a manageable chronic condition. They also reduce the risk of spreading the virus to others.Feb 8, 2022

What is the first treatment for AIDS?

In March of 1987, FDA approved zidovudine (AZT) as the first antiretroviral drug for the treatment of AIDS.Mar 14, 2019

Can a person recover from AIDS?

There's currently no cure for HIV, but there are very effective drug treatments that enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life. With an early diagnosis and effective treatments, most people with HIV will not develop any AIDS-related illnesses and will live a near-normal lifespan.

What drugs are used in treating AIDS?

Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs)Abacavir, or ABC (Ziagen)Didanosine, or ddl (Videx)Emtricitabine, or FTC (Emtriva)Lamivudine, or 3TC (Epivir)Stavudine, or d4T (Zerit)Tenofovir alafenamide, or TAF (Vemlidy)Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or TDF (Viread)Zidovudine or ZDV (Retrovir)Jul 28, 2020

What is HIV treatment?

HIV treatment involves taking medicine that reduces the amount of HIV in your body. HIV medicine is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is n...

When should I start treatment?

Start Treatment As Soon As Possible After Diagnosis HIV medicine is recommended for all people with HIV, regardless of how long they’ve had the vir...

What if I delay treatment?

HIV will continue to harm your immune system. This will put you at higher risk for developing AIDS. Learn more about AIDS and opportunistic infecti...

What are the benefits of taking my HIV medicine every day as prescribed?

Treatment Reduces the Amount of HIV in the Blood The amount of HIV in the blood is called viral load. Taking your HIV medicine as prescribed will h...

Does HIV medicine cause side effects?

HIV medicine can cause side effects in some people. However, not everyone experiences side effects. The most common side effects are Nausea and vom...

Will HIV treatment interfere with my hormone therapy?

There are no known drug interactions between HIV medicine and hormone therapy. Talk to your health care provider if you are worried about taking HI...

What if my treatment is not working?

Your health care provider may change your prescription. A change is not unusual because the same treatment does not affect everyone in the same way.

Sticking to my treatment plan is hard. How can I deal with the challenges?

Tell your health care provider right away if you’re having trouble sticking to your plan. Together you can identify the reasons you’re skipping med...

What is the treatment for HIV?

However, there are many medications that can control HIV and prevent complications. These medications are called antiretroviral therapy (ART). Everyone diagnosed with HIV should be started on ART, regardless of their stage of infection or complications.

What to do if you think you have HIV?

If you think you might have HIV infection, you're likely to start by seeing your family doctor. You may be referred to an infectious disease specialist — who additionally specializes in treating HIV / AIDS.

What test can help determine if you have HIV?

If you receive a diagnosis of HIV / AIDS, several tests can help your doctor determine the stage of your disease and the best treatment, including: CD4 T cell count. CD4 T cells are white blood cells that are specifically targeted and destroyed by HIV. Even if you have no symptoms, HIV infection progresses to AIDS when your CD4 T cell count dips ...

What is HIV RNA?

Viral load (HIV RNA). This test measures the amount of virus in your blood. After starting HIV treatment the goal is to have an undetectable viral load. This significantly reduces your chances of opportunistic infection and other HIV -related complications.

How long does it take to get tested for HIV?

Most rapid HIV tests, including self-tests done at home, are antibody tests. Antibody tests can take three to 12 weeks after you're exposed to become positive. Nucleic acid tests (NATs). These tests look for the actual virus in your blood (viral load). They also involve blood drawn from a vein.

What are some examples of anti-HIV drugs?

Examples include efavirenz (Sustiva), rilpivirine (Edurant) and doravirine (Pifeltro).

How to diagnose HIV?

Diagnosis. HIV can be diagnosed through blood or saliva testing. Available tests include: Antigen/antibody tests. These tests usually involve drawing blood from a vein. Antigens are substances on the HIV virus itself and are usually detectable — a positive test — in the blood within a few weeks after exposure to HIV.

How to treat HIV?

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. Taking these medicines can reduce the amount of virus in your body and help you stay healthy.

Why is HIV treatment important?

Treatment is especially important for pregnant women, people who have other infections (such as tuberculosis or hepatitis), and people who have symptoms of AIDS. Research suggests that treatment of early HIV with antiretroviral medicines has long-term benefits, such as a stronger immune system.

What happens if you get HIV late?

If HIV progresses to a late stage, treatment will be started or continued to keep your immune system as healthy as possible. If you get any diseases that point to AIDS, such as Pneumocystis pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma, your doctor will treat them.

Why is it important to take a medicine after HIV treatment?

Taking these medicines can reduce the amount of virus in your body and help you stay healthy. After you start treatment, it's important to take your medicines exactly as your doctor tells you. When treatment doesn't work, it is often because HIV has become resistant to the medicine.

How to keep your immune system strong?

Keep your immune system strong by eating right, quitting smoking, and learning how to avoid infection. Monitor your CD4+ (white blood cells) counts to check the effect of the virus on your immune system. See a counselor to help you handle the strong emotions and stress that can follow an HIV diagnosis.

Why do people get medicine for HIV?

Health care workers who are at risk for HIV because of an accidental stick with a needle or other exposure to body fluids should get medicine to prevent infection. Also, medicine may prevent HIV infection in a person who has been raped or was accidentally exposed to the body fluids of a person who may have HIV.

How to get rid of a foodborne infection?

Use condoms whenever you have sex. Learn how to handle food safely so you don't get a food-borne infection. Eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise, don't smoke, and don't use illegal drugs.

How does treatment help prevent HIV?

Having an undetectable viral load may also help prevent transmission from injection drug use.

Why is it important to take HIV medication?

Taking HIV medication consistently, as prescribed, helps prevent drug resistance. Drug resistance develops when people with HIV are inconsistent with taking their HIV medication as prescribed. The virus can change (mutate) and will no longer respond to certain HIV medication. If you develop drug resistance, it will limit your options ...

What does it mean when your HIV is suppressed?

Viral suppression is defined as having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood. HIV medicine can make the viral load so low that a test can’t detect it (called an undetectable viral load ). If your viral load goes down after starting HIV treatment, that means treatment is working.

What is the amount of HIV in the blood called?

The amount of HIV in the blood is called viral load . Taking your HIV medicine as prescribed will help keep your viral load low and your CD4 cell count high. HIV medicine can make the viral load very low (called viral suppression ). Viral suppression is defined as having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood.

What happens if you skip your medication?

If you skip your medications, even now and then, you are giving HIV the chance to multiply rapidly. This could weaken your immune system, and you could become sick. Getting and keeping an undetectable viral load (or staying virally suppressed) is the best way to stay healthy and protect others.

How long does it take for a mother to give her baby HIV?

If a mother with HIV takes HIV medicine as prescribed throughout pregnancy, labor, and delivery and gives HIV medicine to her baby for 4 to 6 weeks after birth, the risk of transmitting HIV to her baby can be 1% or less.

How long does it take to get rid of HIV?

There is no effective cure for HIV. But with proper medical care, you can control HIV. Most people can get the virus under control within six months. Taking HIV medicine does not prevent transmission ...

What is the treatment for HIV called?

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. People with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as possible.

How does HIV treatment affect the body?

By reducing the amount of HIV in the body, HIV medicines also reduce the risk of HIV transmission. A main goal of HIV treatment is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected by a viral load test.

Why is it important to have less HIV?

Having less HIV in the body gives the immune system a chance to recover and produce more CD4 cells.

How many classes of HIV are there?

There are many HIV medicines available for HIV regimens. The HIV medicines are grouped into seven drug classes according to how they fight HIV. The choice of an HIV regimen depends on a person's individual needs.

How long after HIV infection can you start taking a drug?

(Early HIV infection is the period up to 6 months after infection with HIV.)

Can HIV be treated with ART?

People with HIV should start taking HIV medicines as soon as possible. ART can’t cure HIV, but HIV medicines help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. ART also reduces the risk of HIV transmission. A main goal of HIV treatment is to reduce a person’s viral load to an undetectable level.

Can HIV medications interact with other HIV medications?

HIV medicines can interact with other HIV medicines in an HIV regimen or with other medicines a person is taking . Health care providers carefully consider potential drug interactions before recommending an HIV regimen.

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 happens if your CD4 is low?

If your CD4 cell count falls below a certain level, you are at risk of getting an opportunistic infection. These are infections that don’t normally affect people with healthy immune systems but that can infect people with immune systems weakened by HIV infection.

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.

What is the name of the drug that shuts down HIV?

Similar to AZT, NNRTIs shut down HIV by targeting the enzymes it needs to multiply. These drugs paved the way to a new era of combination therapy for HIV/AIDS.

What drug stopped HIV from multiplying?

Also called azidothymidine (AZT), the medication became available in 1987.

How many HIV medications are there?

Today, more than 30 HIV medications are available. Many people are able to control their HIV with just one pill a day. Early treatment with antiretrovirals can prevent HIV-positive people from getting AIDS and the diseases it causes, like cancer.

What drug was approved in 2012?

A study showed that taking a daily dose of antiretrovirals not only helped those who were HIV-positive, but also could protect healthy people from becoming infected. In 2012, the FDA approved the drug Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

How much is AZT?

AZT also at the time was the most expensive prescription drug in history, with a one-year price tag of $16,500 in today’s dollars. Over the next several years, the FDA approved several other drugs that worked similarly to AZT. They belonged to a drug class called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).

What disease did gay men get?

Others were coming down with a rare type of pneumonia. A year later, the mysterious disease had a name: acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS.

When did the FDA approve the pill Combivir?

The multiple doses and the drugs’ side effects drove many people to quit their HIV therapy. Then in 1997 , the FDA approved a pill called Combivir that contained two anti-HIV drugs and was easier to take. Nearly 2 decades after the emergence of HIV and AIDS, a dozen antiretroviral drugs were on the market. PrEP.

How long does HIV last?

This illness, known as primary (acute) HIV infection, may last for a few weeks. Possible signs and symptoms include: Fever. Headache.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

As the virus continues to multiply and destroy your immune cells — the cells in your body that help fight off germs — you may develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms such as: Fever. Fatigue. Swollen lymph nodes — often one of the first signs of HIV infection. Diarrhea.

What is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome?

Overview. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight infection and disease. HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can also be spread by contact ...

What is the most common infection in the central nervous system?

Cryptococcal meningitis is a common central nervous system infection associated with HIV, caused by a fungus found in soil. Toxoplasmosis. This potentially deadly infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite spread primarily by cats.

What is the most common cause of pneumonia in HIV patients?

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). This fungal infection can cause severe illness. Although it's declined significantly with current treatments for HIV / AIDS, in the U.S. PCP is still the most common cause of pneumonia in people infected with HIV.

How is HIV transmitted?

In some cases, the virus may be transmitted through blood transfusions. American hospitals and blood banks now screen the blood supply for HIV antibodies, so this risk is very small. During pregnancy or delivery or through breast-feeding. Infected mothers can pass the virus on to their babies.

How long does it take for HIV to develop?

Thanks to better antiviral treatments, most people with HIV in the U.S. today don't develop AIDS. Untreated, HIV typically turns into AIDS in about 8 to 10 years. When AIDS occurs, your immune system has been severely damaged.

How long can a person with HIV live without treatment?

People with AIDS can have a high viral load and be very infectious. Without treatment, people with AIDS typically survive about three years. This info sheet provides basic information about HIV. This timeline looks at the history of HIV and the role CDC has played in addressing the epidemic.

How long has HIV been around?

We know that the virus has existed in the United States since at least the mid to late 1970s. To learn more about the history of HIV in the United States and CDC’s response to the epidemic, see CDC’s HIV and AIDS Timeline. How do I know if I have HIV? The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested.

What happens at the end of stage 3?

At the end of this phase, the amount of HIV in the blood (called viral load) goes up and the CD4 cell count goes down. The person may have symptoms as the virus levels increase in the body, and the person moves into Stage 3. People who take HIV medicine as prescribed may never move into Stage 3.

What happens if you don't get HIV?

If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Learning the basics about HIV can keep you healthy and prevent HIV transmission. You can also download materials to share or watch videos on basic information about HIV. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

What is stage 3 of HIV?

Stage 3: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) The most severe phase of HIV infection. People with AIDS have such badly damaged immune systems that they get an increasing number of severe illnesses, called opportunistic infections.

How many stages of HIV are there?

What are the stages of HIV? When people with HIV don’t get treatment, they typically progress through three stages. But HIV medicine can slow or prevent progression of the disease. With the advancements in treatment, progression to Stage 3 is less common today than in the early days of HIV.

Can HIV be transmitted faster?

People may not have any symptoms or get sick during this phase. Without taking HIV medicine, this period may last a decade or longer, but some may progress faster. People can transmit HIV in this phase.

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Alternative Medicine

• HIVcan be diagnosed through blood or saliva testing. Available tests include: 1. Antigen/antibody tests. These tests usually involve drawing blood from a vein. Antigens are substances on the HIV virus itself and are usually detectable — a positive test — in the blood within a few weeks after exposure to HIV.Antibodies are produced by your immune system when it's exposed to HIV. It ca…

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