Key points
- HIV treatment prevents HIV from damaging your immune system, and so prevents ill health and prolongs lives.
- Everyone who has diagnosed HIV is recommended to take HIV treatment. It is better to begin treatment sooner, rather than later.
- Combinations of two or three anti-HIV drugs provide the best chance of reducing the amount of HIV in your blood to very low (undetectable) levels.
- Having an undetectable viral load prevents HIV from being passed on during sex.
- It is important to take your anti-HIV drugs as prescribed in order to prolong the benefit you will get from them and reduce the risk of drug resistance.
- Tell a member of your HIV healthcare team if you are having problems with your anti-HIV drugs, including side effects.
This booklet is a starting point for anyone who wants to find out about treatments for HIV. It provides information about the drugs used – known as antiretroviral drugs or antiretroviral therapy (ART).
The booklet has been written to help you decide what questions to ask your doctor about any course of treatment you might be considering. It should not replace discussions with your doctor.
Information in this booklet has been reviewed by a panel of medical experts and includes information on issues such as side effects and drug interactions (with other antiretroviral drugs and drugs used for other conditions). For full details of side effects and drug interactions, see the information leaflets that are produced by drug manufacturers and included in the drug’s packaging.
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Anti-HIV drugs
Basic information
How treatment works
Taking drugs on time
Drug resistance
Side effects
HIV and the immune system
Myths and facts
Life expectancy
What is an elite controller?
A to Z of antiretroviral medications
Antiretroviral drug chart
Starting HIV treatment
Recommended treatments for HIV
One-pill-a-day HIV treatments
Taking your HIV treatment
An introduction to HIV medicines
Blood tests before starting or changing HIV treatment
Why taking your HIV treatment properly is important
Adherence to HIV treatment
Food requirements for anti-HIV medications
Resistance to anti-HIV drugs
What happens to HIV drugs in the body, and do missed doses matter?
Where to get HIV treatment
Which HIV medications are available as generics?
Interactions between HIV medication and recreational drugs
Changing HIV treatment
Side-effects of HIV treatment
Allergic reactions to HIV medications
HIV treatment side-effects and mental health
What do we know about injectable HIV medication?
HIV treatment as you get older
Life expectancy for people living with HIV
Should HIV controllers take HIV treatment?
HIV lifecycle
The stages of HIV infection
