Question
Is HIV treatment going to work for me?
26 November 2015. Related: All topics, CD4 and viral load, South Africa, Starting treatment.
I’ve been HIV positive for five years and last time i went to check my CD4 count it was 389. I was told to start ARVs. Is the treatment going to work for me and what type of ARVs am I going to get?
Answer
Hi,
HIV treatment means that people can live long and comparatively healthy lives. Some people starting treatment at the point that you are can expect to live just as long a person that do not have HIV. ARVs should work for you.
The ARVs you are likely to get depends on the clinic you are treated at. Many people in South Africa start on generic versions (copies) of a pill called Atripla. This is a pill that has three different medications in one. It might be called something else like Atroiza or Tribuss. They all work the same though and contain exactly the same ingredients. They only have different names because they are made by different companies.
You can find more information on starting HIV treatment in our online guide.
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