If you are involved in decisions about starting or changing your HIV treatment, and feel comfortable about what you’ve decided, then you’ll be more likely to take your treatment properly.

Your doctor should take time to talk through with you why you need to start or change HIV treatment. You should also be given written information to take away and read about any treatment you are considering.

Other members of the healthcare team at your clinic, particularly specialist HIV pharmacists, health advisers or health trainers, and nurses are also good sources of information and support when starting or changing treatment.

Some other reliable sources of information in the UK are:

THT Direct

• telephone 0845 12 21 200
• email  info@tht.org.uk
• opening hours Monday to Friday, 10am to 10pm and Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon to 6pm

HIV i-Base Treatment Phoneline

• telephone 0808 800 6013
• email  questions@i-base.org.uk
• opening hours Monday to Wednesday, 12 noon to 4pm

If you live in London, you can get help from a health trainer through THT’s HIV Health Support Service. Health trainers work in HIV clinics, community centres or can visit you in your home and can provide information, advice and support about living with HIV, treatment and managing your condition. You can ask to see a health trainer at your clinic, by contacting THT Direct or by using the online service at www.tht.org.uk/askthetrainer.

It’s a good idea to ask questions if you are unclear about anything and to keep on asking questions until you understand.

You’ll probably have an opportunity to think about starting treatment over a number of weeks or even months. There’s a good chance that your adherence will be better if you start taking treatment when you’re ready to do so. It’s important to know, however, that you’re likely to be advised to start taking HIV treatment soon if you are ill because of HIV. HIV treatment is also recommended for people even if they have no symptoms when their CD4 cell count falls to around 350. If you need to change treatment because your current HIV treatment isn’t controlling your viral load, it’s important that you do this as soon as possible to reduce the risk of resistance.

There’s more information about starting and changing HIV treatment in the NAM booklet, Anti-HIV drugs .

There’s evidence to show that people who understand the benefits of HIV treatment are more likely to take their treatment properly. It’s good to know that the amount of illness and death caused by HIV has fallen dramatically since effective HIV treatment became available. Researchers have calculated that HIV treatment will mean that many people with the virus who take their treatment properly will live a near-normal lifespan.

There have been important improvements in HIV treatment in recent years. The side-effects of the recommended anti-HIV drugs are generally mild and either lessen or go away completely over time.

If you have questions or concerns about the effectiveness of HIV treatment or its possible side-effects, it makes sense to discuss these with your HIV doctor or another member of your healthcare team.

There’s more information in the NAM booklet, Side-effects.

Mental health problems such as depression have been linked to not taking HIV treatment properly.

Depression is quite common in people with HIV. However, it can be successfully treated and a lot of support is available through your clinic as well as through HIV organisations if you have emotional or mental health problems.

Therefore it’s a good idea to tell your HIV doctor if you think you are depressed, particularly if this means that you’re having problems taking your treatment.

Feeling isolated or alone, or having worries about money, housing, immigration or employment, can all make it harder to take your HIV treatment properly. These concerns may seem more pressing and important than prioritising or taking your treatment. HIV organisations can be a good place to turn to for support if you are facing any of these issues. Your HIV clinic may have a specialist social worker who can help, so it’s a good idea to tell your doctor about any problems you are having.

You can find out more about mental health in the NAM booklet, HIV, Mental Health & emotional wellbeing. A good place to find out about the services available to you is THT Direct, on 0845 12 21 200.