Your support and assistance may be helpful. By getting linked to HIV medical care early, starting treatment with HIV medication (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), adhering to medication, and staying in care, people with HIV can keep the virus under control, and prevent their HIV infection from progressing to AIDS.
Full Answer
Why get and stay on HIV treatment?
Getting and staying on HIV treatment because it reduces the amount of HIV in your blood (also called the viral load) to a very low level. This keeps you healthy and prevents illness.
Why is it important to find an HIV health care provider?
Finding a health care team that is knowledgeable about HIV care is an important step in managing your care and treatment. Your HIV health care provider should lead your health care team. That person will help you determine which HIV medicines are best for you, prescribe antiretroviral therapy (ART),...
When should you develop a treatment plan for HIV?
Working with your health care provider to develop a treatment plan will help you learn more about HIV and manage it effectively. When Should You Start HIV Treatment? 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.
What to do if you have HIV and need medical care?
Getting and staying in medical care Once you know you are infected with the HIV virus, it is important to be connected to an HIV healthcare provider who can offer you treatment and prevention counseling to help you stay as healthy as possible and prevent passing HIV on to others.
Why is early HIV treatment important?
During early HIV infection, a person's viral load is often very high. Studies suggest that even at this early stage of HIV infection, HIV medicines can begin to protect a person's health. In addition, starting HIV medicines during early HIV infection reduces the risk of HIV transmission.
Does early treatment of HIV help?
The most critical time to treat is right after diagnosis HIV is actually much more likely to be transmitted by people who don't know they've got it – often, soon after they themselves have been infected. So, if you've been diagnosed with HIV, early treatment will keep you healthy and your partners safe.
What is the purpose of treatment for HIV positive patients?
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.
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...
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.
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 are the factors that affect your willingness to stick to your treatment plan?
Being sick or depressed. How you feel mentally and physically can affect your willingness to stick to your treatment plan. Your health care provider, social worker, or case manager can refer you to a mental health provider or local support groups. Alcohol or drug use.
What to do if substance use is interfering with your ability to keep yourself healthy?
If substance use is interfering with your ability to keep yourself healthy, it may be time to quit or better manage it. If you need help finding substance use disorder treatment or mental health services, use SAMHSA’s Treatment Locator. external icon. .
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.
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.
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.
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 many people die from HIV each year?
When people with HIV do not receive the treatment and care they need, the disease worsens and eventually progresses to AIDS. Today, nearly 13,000 people with AIDS in the United States die each year. People with HIV who have not achieved viral suppression also remain at risk of transmitting the virus to others.
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 ...
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 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.
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.
How to get rid of HIV?
Some health problems may weaken your body, make your HIV worse, or prevent your treatment from working. Give you immunizations, if you need them. Discuss, prescribe, and monitor your HIV medicine.
What is a PA for HIV?
Physician Assistant (PA). Your primary HIV health care provider will. determine which HIV medicine is best for you, prescribe HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), monitor your progress and help you manage your health, and. put you in touch with other HIV providers who can address your needs.
How to keep CD4 high?
Take Your HIV Medicine as Prescribed. This will help keep your viral load low and your CD4 count high. Take your HIV medicine exactly how your health care provider tells you to—at specific times of the day, with or without certain kinds of food. Keep track of your medicine and schedule.
What does viral load mean?
Viral load is the amount of HIV in your blood. Your health care provider will use a viral load test to determine your viral load. When your viral load is high, you have more HIV in your body. This means your immune system is not fighting HIV very well. You should have a viral load test.
What to expect during a medical visit?
What can I expect during a medical visit? During your medical visit, your health care provider may ask questions and conduct routine medical exams to see how HIV is affecting your body. Your health care provider may. Take a blood sample to check your viral load.
How often do you check your CD4?
This makes it difficult for your body to fight infections. Your health care provider will check your CD4 count every 3 to 6 months.
When should I start HIV treatment?
HIV treatment is recommend for all people with HIV and should be started as soon as possible after diagnosis. Encourage your friend or loved one to see a doctor and start HIV treatment as soon as possible. If they do not have an HIV care provider, you can help them find one.
What to do if you have HIV?
If you are the sexual partner of someone who has been diagnosed with HIV, you should also get tested so that you know your own HIV status. If you test negative, talk to your healthcare provider about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), taking HIV medicine daily to prevent HIV infection. PrEP is recommended for people at high risk of HIV infection, ...
How can I keep my HIV under control?
By getting linked to HIV medical care early, starting treatment with HIV medication (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), adhering to medication, and staying in care, people with HIV can keep the virus under control, and prevent their HIV infection from progressing to AIDS.
How to tell someone you have HIV?
More than a million people in the United States are living with HIV, so you may know someone who has the virus. If your friend, family member, or co-worker has been HIV-positive for some time and has just told you, here’s how you can be supportive: 1 Acknowledge. If someone has disclosed their HIV status to you, thank them for trusting you with their private health information. 2 Ask. If appropriate, ask if there’s anything that you can do to help them. One reason they may have chosen to disclose their status to you is that they need an ally or advocate, or they may need help with a particular issue or challenge. Some people are public with this information; other people keep it very private. Ask whether other people know this information, and how private they are about their HIV status. 3 Reassure. Let the person know, through your words or actions, that their HIV status does not change your relationship and that you will keep this information private if they want you to. 4 Learn. Educate yourself about HIV. Today, lots of people living with HIV are on ART and have the virus under control. Others are at different stages of treatment and care. Don’t make assumptions and look to your friend for guidance.
How often should I take HIV medication?
It is important for people living with HIV to take their HIV medication every day, exactly as prescribed. Ask your loved one what you can do to support them in establishing a medication routine and sticking to it. Also ask what other needs they might have and how you can help them stay healthy.
How many people in the US have HIV?
More than a million people in the United States are living with HIV, so you may know someone who has the virus. If your friend, family member, or co-worker has been HIV-positive for some time and has just told you, here’s how you can be supportive: Acknowledge. If someone has disclosed their HIV status to you, thank them for trusting you ...
How to connect with someone who has been diagnosed?
They may want to connect with you in the same ways they did before being diagnosed. Do things you did together before their diagnosis; talk about things you talked about before their diagnosis. Show them that you see them as the same person and that they are more than their diagnosis. Listen.
How does early antiretroviral treatment affect AIDS?
Early antiretroviral treatment lowered the risk of serious AIDS-related events by 72%. Early treatment also lessened the risk of serious non-AIDS events by 39%. A limitation of the study, the researchers note, is that the participants were fairly young, with a median age of 36 years. In addition, they were only followed for 3 years, ...
How is AIDS treated?
AIDS is treated with antiretroviral drugs. These drugs suppress HIV but don’t completely eliminate the virus from the body. Guidelines for when to start treatment differ around the world because the evidence for using antiretroviral drugs when CD4+ counts are higher wasn’t definitive.
What type of cell is targeted by HIV?
Illustration of a white blood cell—the type of cell targeted by HIV Petersimoncik/iStock/Thinkstock. AIDS is caused by HIV, a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. The virus destroys CD4+ T cells, a type of white blood cell that’s vital to fighting off infection.
Why is the HIV continuum important?
Why Is the HIV Care Continuum Important? The HIV care continuum is useful both as an individual-level tool to assess care outcomes, as well as a population-level framework to analyze the proportion of people with HIV in a given community who are engaged in each successive step.
What is the continuum of HIV care?
What Is the HIV Care Continuum? The HIV care continuum is a public health model that outlines the steps or stages that people with HIV go through from diagnosis to achieving and maintaining viral suppression (a very low or undetectable amount of HIV in the body). The steps are:
How long does it take for a CD4 to be linked to HIV?
CDC defines linkage as having one or more documented CD4 or viral load tests within 30 days (1 month) of HIV diagnosis. The denominator is limited to the number of people receiving an HIV diagnosis in a given year, rather than the total number of people living with HIV that is used in the calculations for the other continuum steps.
Why is rapid linkage important?
Rapid linkage to care is important because it can shorten the time to viral suppression, which helps people stay healthy and virtually eliminates the chance of onward transmission. Different analyses present the steps or stages of the HIV care continuum in different ways.
How many people with HIV do not know they have HIV?
That means that 13% of people with HIV (nearly 1 in 7) did not know they had HIV and were therefore not accessing the care and treatment they need to stay healthy and prevent transmitting the virus to their partners. Receipt of Care —Approximately 66% had received HIV medical care.
Is HIV a viral load?
There are important health benefits to getting the viral load as low as possible: people living with HIV who get and keep an undetectable viral load can live long, healthy lives. There is also a major prevention benefit: people with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk ...
Why is it important to check your child's HIV treatment?
Once treatment is started, it is important that your child be checked regularly to make sure that the HIV drugs are working well and not causing any serious side effects.
How to keep a child from getting HIV?
While you may want to keep your child living with HIV away from people who have colds and the flu, it is important to understand that your child will eventually be around someone who is sick. Try to teach your child to practice frequent and thorough hand washing.
How many HIV drugs are there for children?
Still, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved over thirty HIV drugs for children. An overview of approved HIV drugs for children can be found here. .
Why is HIV undersized?
A child living with HIV may be undersized or underweight because of loss of appetite related to HIV or because of some of the drug treatments. Children living with HIV may have diarrhea, which can also make it difficult to gain weight. It is important that children living with HIV have proper nutrition.
What is the purpose of the DHHS?
The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has made recommendations to prevent children living with HIV from getting opportunistic infections (OIs), or diseases that attack the body when the immune system is weak.
How can a child with HIV be spread?
Your child living with HIV is not a danger to others. HIV cannot be spread through casual contact or saliva, tears, or sweat. Your child cannot transmit HIV to someone by hugging, going to school, or sharing toys, utensils, food, and drinks. It can be very helpful for children living with HIV to understand this so they can interact at school and with other children without concern.
What to do if a child has HIV?
If a child living with HIV tests positive for exposure to tuberculosis (TB), it is important that the child take medicine to keep TB from developing. Depending on the child’s age and immune system, medication may also be given to prevent MAC, which is caused by a germ that can affect the lungs or the gut.