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 HIV?
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 immunodef...
Where did HIV come from?
HIV infection in humans came from a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa. The chimpanzee version of the virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus...
How do I know if I have HIV?
The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested. Knowing your HIV status helps you make healthy decisions to prevent getting or...
Are there symptoms?
Some people have flu-like symptoms within 2 to 4 weeks after infection (called acute HIV infection). These symptoms may last for a few days or seve...
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 dis...
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.
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 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.
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.
How does HIV treatment work?
It is better for your health to begin HIV treatment sooner, rather than later. Anti-HIV drugs work by lowering the amount of HIV in the blood ( viral load ). The aim of HIV treatment is an undetectable viral load. This means that the amount of HIV in a blood sample is so low that it cannot be detected using a standard test.
When is the next review date for HIV?
Next review date. This page was last reviewed in July 2019. It is due for review in July 2022.
What are the different classes of anti-HIV drugs?
The main classes of anti-HIV drug are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), boosted protease inhibitors and integrase inhibitors.
Why is it important to have a low CD4 count?
The lower your CD4 cell count, the greater the risk of infections and HIV making you ill. Similarly, if you have caught HIV very recently – within the past three months – your doctor is likely to encourage you to start treatment without delay. This is because some people can become seriously ill soon after infection.
What does it mean when you have an undetectable viral load?
Having an undetectable viral load means that there is not enough HIV in your body fluids to pass HIV on during sex. In other words, you are not infectious. "The sooner you start to take HIV treatment, the sooner you can benefit from it.".
Is HIV treatment better than waiting?
While people sometimes worry about the side-effects of anti-HIV drugs, the study also showed that people who began HIV treatment earlier had a better quality of life than people who waited. Another important benefit of starting treatment is that it usually suppresses the amount of HIV in your body fluids to an ‘undetectable’ level.
Is it better to start HIV treatment sooner or later?
It’s better to start HIV treatment sooner, rather than later . Treatment will reduce the risk of HIV transmission, prevent illnesses and extend your life. A range of different antiretroviral drugs are available. Everyone who has diagnosed HIV is recommended to take HIV treatment.
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 stopped HIV from multiplying?
Also called azidothymidine (AZT), the medication became available in 1987.
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 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.
What is genetic HIV?
The genetic strain of HIV a person has been infected with (some of which may be more or less virulent than others) The general health of the individual. The place where the person lives (including healthcare access and the incidence of other diseases or infections) A person's genetics or family history.
What happens if you leave HIV untreated?
In all but a few rare cases, if left untreated, HIV will progress to a stage of infection called AIDS. This is when the immune defenses have been compromised, and the body is less able to defend itself against potentially life-threatening infections. 2:51.
What changes if a person receives no treatment?
A person's genetics or family history. Smoking and other personal lifestyle choices. This is, of course, if the person receives no treatment. The picture changes entirely if he or she does. 1 . Since 1996, the introduction of antiretroviral drugs has dramatically altered the natural progression of HIV infection.
How long does a virus last?
This chronic (or latent) stage of infection can last for years and even decades in some individuals until such time as the hidden viruses are reactivated (most often when the immune system is fully compromised and later-stage OI develops).
Can HIV be cured?
While HIV still cannot be cured, people newly diagnosed with HIV who get treated and stay in care can be expected to have near-normal to normal life expectancies. As with other chronic diseases, early detection is key to identifying and treating the infection as soon as possible. 2 .
What is the standard of care for a patient with HIV-1?
Currently, the standard of care for a treatment-naïve patient with HIV-1 is a three-drug, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimen that is started as soon as possible after a patient tests positive for HIV.
How many different types of HIV medications are there?
For the treatment of HIV, there are more than 25 different medications in six different classes, for which a detailed discussion will follow in further sections.
What is a HAART?
Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is a medication regimen used to manage and treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). It is composed of several drugs in the antiretroviral classes of medications. This activity outlines the indications, mechanism of action, and contraindications for various HAART medications in the management ...
What is the cornerstone of HAART?
A fundamental cornerstone of HAART is the co-administration of different drugs that inhibit HIV replication by several mechanisms so that the propagation of a virus with resistance to a single agent is inhibited by the action of the other two agents.
What medications should I avoid with hepatic dysfunction?
Patients with a history of hepatic dysfunction should avoid efavirenz, tenofovir-disoproxil fumarate (TDF), and maraviroc. Patients with a history of renal dysfunction should avoid or adjust dosages of tenofovir, maraviroc, and atazanavir.
What are the effects of PI class?
PI class effects include hepatotoxicity, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, lipodystrophy, and PR interval prolongation. Other PIs, including indinavir and saquinavir, are no longer used due to inefficiency, increased resistance, and unfavorable side effects such as an increased risk of nephrolithiasis.
What are the factors that affect CYP?
The dosages and preferred regimens may be adjusted based on various factors, including concomitant use of CYP inducers/inhibitors, renal or hepatic impairment, baseline resistance, childbearing potential, and comorbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hepatitis B, or tuberculosis.
How long does it take for HIV to go into hiding?
29 Days to 20 Years After Exposure. The chronic stage of infection occurs once the immune system brings the virus under control. During this phase, HIV will go into hiding, where it resides in various cells and tissues throughout the body in a dormant state known as latency. HIV latency can persist without symptoms for 10 years or more, ...
How long does HIV last?
HIV latency can persist without symptoms for 10 years or more, although some people may experience signs within a year or two. During the early chronic phase, lymphadenopathy may be the only notable sign of an HIV infection. In some cases, the glands may be visibly enlarged and reach up to an inch or more in size.
How long does it take for ARS to go away?
14 to 28 Days After Exposure. By around day 14, the virus will begin to stop multiplying rapidly. Although some people can experience ARS symptoms for up to three months, most people will start feeling better within two weeks, as the immune system gradually brings the infection under control.
How long does lymphadenopathy last?
Even when the other symptoms have disappeared, lymphadenopathy may continue for months or even longer. "The important thing to remember is that the resolution of symptoms does not mean the infection is gone," says Dennis Sifris, MD, an HIV specialist with the Lifesense Disease Management Group, located in South Africa.
How long does diarrhea last?
Severe, uncontrolled diarrhea that lasts for more than three days. Each of these symptoms is commonly seen in persons with immune deficiency. They may, in some cases, be caused by HIV itself or by an infection that has yet to be diagnosed.
What is the acute stage of the virus?
Known as acute retroviral syndrome, or ARS, the acute stage occurs immediately after being infected, when the immune system has yet to control the virus. During this time, an estimated 40 percent to 90 percent of people will experience mild to moderate flu-like symptoms, whereas the rest won’t experience any symptoms at all.
What is the CD4 count for AIDS?
This is when the most serious opportunistic infections tend to occur. AIDS is officially defined as either having a CD4 count under 200 or the presence of at least one of 27 different AIDS-defining conditions as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When do HIV symptoms first appear?
When do early HIV symptoms first appear? Answer From Pritish K. Tosh, M.D. Early HIV symptoms usually occur within a couple of weeks to a month or two after infection and are often like a bad case of the flu.
How long after HIV infection do you show symptoms?
During this period, you are very infectious. More-persistent or more-severe symptoms of HIV infection may not appear for several years after the initial infection. The symptoms that indicate an early HIV infection are extremely common. Often, you can't tell them apart from symptoms of another viral infection.
What are the symptoms of HIV?
Fever. Headache. Fatigue. Swollen lymph glands. Rash. Sore joints or muscles. Sore throat. These early HIV symptoms are called acute retroviral syndrome or acute HIV infection and are the body's natural response. Symptoms, if they appear at all, usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for those of another viral infection.
