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Gender and race
In the UK and many other industrialised countries, HIV was initially predominately an illness affecting gay men. This is changing rapidly and increasing numbers of women in the UK are being diagnosed with HIV. Although there are some differences in CD4 cell count and viral load between men and women, it is known that HAART is equally effective in both sexes, but side-effects of medication may affect men and women differently. In addition, your choice of anti-HIV drugs may be affected if you are a woman considering pregnancy (see the booklet, HIV and women in this series for more information).
There is also an increasing diversity in the ethnic populations affected by HIV in the UK. HAART works well regardless of ethnic origin, but your chances of experiencing certain side-effects (for example, lipodystrophy) may be affected by your ethnic origins. Your HIV clinic should recognise that there are particular barriers to accessing HIV treatment and care in certain communities.