July 2010
This guide includes information about the most important aspects of HIV treatment. It is written and reviewed by HIV-positive people and it uses everyday language to explain medical terms.
Introduction
First questions
- What is combination therapy?
- Do the drugs really work?
- Does everyone need treatment?
- How do the drugs work?
- Your CD4 count and the risk of becoming ill
- CD4 and viral load: two essential blood tests
- How long will the drugs work?
- Can I take a break in my treatment?
- Does treatment always work?
- Can I change treatments?
- Should I enter a study?
- What about alcohol and recreational drugs?
- Are the drugs a cure?
- What is ‘treatment-naive’?
- What else do I need to know?
Age, gender and pregnancy
- Is age an important factor in adults?
- Age, HIV drugs and heart disease
- Are recommendations the same for men and women?
- What about treatment in pregnancy?
- How do children use HIV treatment?
Deciding when to start treatment
- When should I start treatment?
- CD4 count and guidelines
- Early diagnosis and primary infection
- Using treatment at higher CD4 counts: the START trial
- Average CD4 increases by starting CD4 count
- Late diagnosis and low CD4s
Side effects
- What about side effects?
- The most common side effects
- Lipodystrophy and metabolic changes
- Other side effects
You and your doctor
Adherence
- Adherence and why it is so important
- Adherence tips
- What if I forget to take my pills?
- Adherence diary
Resistance
- What is resistance?
- How do I avoid resistance?
- A missed or late dose increases the risk of resistance
Which drugs, which combination?
- What is the best combination?
- Main types of HIV drugs
- HIV lifecycle – how drugs work in different ways
- First combination
- Starting on efavirenz
- Starting on nevirapine
- Starting on a boosted PI
- Which nukes: Truvada or Kivexa?
- Other nukes
- Non-standard approaches
- New options in 2010/11
- The most commonly used first line combinations
- Antiretroviral drugs
Your personal treatment history
Glossary
Further information
Tables and diagrams
Written and compiled by Simon Collins for HIV i-Base with thanks to an extended advisory group of HIV-positive people and community advocates.
Design by No Days Off. Funding thanks to The Monument Trust.
Not-for-profit copying is encouraged or call for additional free copies.