HIV treatment

Start taking medication as soon as possible

Did you hear you have HIV? Then you should start taking HIV medication as soon as possible:

• The medication is called HIV inhibitors (blockers)
• HIV inhibitors prevent you from getting sick and developing AIDS
• With them you can live a long, healthy life with HIV
• Thanks to the medication, you can no longer pass on HIV

The sooner you start taking medication, the smaller the chance that HIV makes you sick.

How often do you take HIV medication?

You take pills every day at the same time, once or twice a day. You will do this for the rest of your life. The treatment only works well if you take your medication regularly. This is called treatment adherence.  There are apps for your smartphone that can help remind you about taking your medication every day. Your doctor and HIV consultant can help you with this.

Read more about HIV treatment and medication on the Hiv Vereniging website

When does an HIV treatment work?

The medication is working well if the doctors can’t detect HIV in your blood anymore. This is usually the case 3 to 6 months after starting treatment. You still have HIV, but you can’t pass it on. This is called U=U, which stands for Undetectable = Untransmittable. You still need to keep taking your medication properly. And to get checked regularly at the hospital. This is called treatment adherence.

Find out more about U=U

Do you want to know at what point you can’t pass on HIV? And what should you pay attention to? Get answers to the most frequently asked questions about U=U from the Hiv Vereniging.

Side-effects of HIV inhibitors

Sometimes, HIV medication can give you side-effects:

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Different or stressful dreams
• Tingling or pain in your hands or feet

Usually these side-effects are light and they stop after a while. Are you experiencing these side-effects? Discuss it with your doctor. You might be able to switch medication.

Some of the side-effects you will not notice yourself. For example:

• Reduced functioning of your liver or kidneys
• Osteoporosis (reduced bone density). This can make it easier for your bones to break
• High cholesterol and vascular calcifications (calcium deposits in your blood vessels)

At the hospital, your doctor will occasionally run some tests to keep this under control. Sometimes you might need to switch medication.

Living a healthy life with HIV

Healthy habits are important if you have a chronic condition like HIV. Think of:

• Quitting smoking
• Drinking less alcohol
• Reducing your drug use
• Regularly exercising and doing sports

Part of a healthy life is also feeling comfortable in your own skin. Do you feel sad or stressed? More information about healthy living is available on Hivvereniging.nl.

Research on HIV cures

HIV inhibitors can’t heal you from HIV. They can only reduce the amount of virus in your body. To the point where doctors can’t detect any HIV in your blood. But this doesn’t mean that HIV is completely gone. If you stop taking your medication, the amount will increase again. Therefore it’s important to take your HIV inhibitors regularly.

Scientists are hard at work researching ways to cure HIV forever. Do you want to know more about the research for HIV cures? Read more at Aidsfonds.nl.