Introduction
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.
Although if this is all new to you, many of the issues relating to treatment can be scary, this booklet should help you feel more in control of your treatment.
We have updated this guide at least every year for the last ten years because information about HIV can change quickly. Make sure any other information you read is up to date and be cautious of information, whether printed or from the internet, that is not clearly dated
If you are reading this after July 2011, please call i-Base for a new edition.
Information is based on the latest (2009) guidelines in the UK, Europe and the US, which are all available online.
All guidelines stress that HIV treatment should be individualised and the information in this guide is meant to help in discussions with your doctor.
Changes to this edition include:
- Differences between the current UK and US guidelines about starting treatment at higher CD4 counts.
- The START study is discussed in the context of earlier treatment.
- The test for recent infection (within six months) is now also referred to as RITA rather than STARHS in the new programme by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). This test is recommended for anyone who is newly diagnosed, especially if they think they have a recent infection.
- A new reference about the benefit of carrying a few days additional meds in you travel is included in the adherence tips.
- Information on new drugs or new formulations and the ARV chart has been updated.
- The information on HIV treatment during pregnancy includes not to panic if you become pregnant when on efavirenz and that AZT is being used less frequently.