NAPWA

When ARVA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. drugs first became available, many people were taking drug combinations that really did make life very complicated, but since then there has been considerable research into the ways of combining treatments to allow better dosing schedules, such as once or twice a day.

If you find it hard to remember to take pills, talk to your doctor prioritising once-daily dosing when considering your treatment options. Current evidence suggests that once you start taking ARV you will need to keep taking them for life. Therefore, you need to be very committed to the decision before you start (although the drugs in your combination may change, as different agents are developed).

Research shows that you cannot miss occasional doses and that skipping pills puts you at high risk of developing drug- resistantHIV which has mutated and is less susceptible to the effects of one or more anti-HIV drugs is said to be resistant. HIV.

You may need frequent medical appointments at first, to check how the treatment is working. Some women find this difficult to manage at work or within their family, if they have not disclosed their HIV status. Your doctor, a treatments officer from your local AIDS Council, or other positive women can suggest practical strategies for coping with all of this.

Your state of health, lifestyle and personal preference will be factors when choosing which drugs to take. Together with your doctor, you should consider any symptoms you may have, and any other drugs you are taking.

If you are resuming HIV treatment after stopping therapy for any reason:

• Ask your doctor to conduct resistance testing to choose drugs that will work well for you;
• Discuss the reasons that you stopped therapy to help choose the agents that will best suit your lifestyle.

Treatments decisions are likely to be influenced by your general well-being; changes in your viral loadA measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma. or CD4- cell count, side effects, your lifestyle, whether you are planning pregnancy, the availability of new treatments and approaches, and finally your attitudes to medicine.

There is a lot of information around about treatment but you don’t have to tackle it all at once. Don’t be intimidated! Explain to your doctor that you need a reasonable timeframe for making decisions. Depending on circumstances, you may have several months or several weeks to make a decision about the way forward. You can also ask for referral to material that can help you make up your mind, such as plain-language written material to take away and consider.

You don’t have to rush into any decision before you are ready for it. In the end, which drugs you do or don’t take is up to you, but knowing your options will allow you to make an informed decision.

Treat Yourself Right