Life check

By taking HIV treatment doctors are now hopeful you will lead a more or less normal lifespan.

The goal of HIV treatment is undetectable viral load.

Attending your clinic regularly for monitoring check-ups is important so that doctors can check your health and see how HIV is affecting your immune system.

HIV treatment includes three (and sometimes more) different drugs. Sometimes different drugs will be combined into a single pill or capsule.

Are you taking HIV treatment already?

For HIV treatment to be effective you need to take your treatment at the right time, in the right way (e.g. with or without food) and make sure you don’t take medicines or drugs that interact with the treatment. And you need to do this 95% of the time.

While the best time to start treatment isn't known, if you are unwell due to HIV, or your CD4 count falls to 350, it would be good to talk to your doctor about it, if he or she hasn't raised it with you already.

HIV drugs can cause side-effects. Many of these are manageable, however. If you talk to your doctor there is a good chance he or she will be able to help you do something about them.

You can still pass on HIV to someone else even if you are taking HIV treatment. Condoms, when used properly, effectively prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Clean needles are available if you inject drugs – never share needles or injecting equipment.

Good sexual health is important if you are living with HIV. You can get a free sexual health check-up at any NHS sexual health clinic.

Do you have a baby or are you pregnant? Or are you hoping to have a baby?

Mother to baby transmission can be prevented in nearly all cases. The use of anti-HIV drugs, having a caesarean delivery (if you have a high viral load), and not breastfeeding can reduce the risk of a mother passing on HIV to her baby to less than 1%.

You can do a lot to help yourself live well with HIV. You can help yourself by eating well, reducing stress, not smoking, and exercising regularly.

You don’t have to face HIV alone. There are numerous free specialist services available for people with HIV. These include: counselling, support groups, advice services, exercise and smoking cessation programmes.

It is important to be registered with a GP. Having a GP will ensure that all your health needs can be met. GPs can attend to health needs that your HIV clinic may not be able to.