Question
What is the difference between ART and HAART?
31 October 2016. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, Starting treatment.
What is the difference between HAART treatment available in developed countries and ART treatment available in countries like Nepal by funding agencies. I am from Nepal and have diagnosed HIV recently, not in medicine yet.
Answer
Thanks for getting in touch.
HARRT is what people used to called HIV medication. This being highly active antiretroviral therapy. ART is just another way to say HIV medication.
ART that is prescribed in Nepal is just as effective as ART that is prescribed in the UK. The important thing is to take it once diagnosed.
Hi Lufuno,
Thanks. We answer questions, and also any comments on those questions. We are not able to do live chats, but we answer all comments as quickly as we can.
How do I sign up to live chats. I like this group. Very informative
If HIV positive individual adhere to the medication( decrease progression to AIDS), live good lifesyle( exercising, eat fruits & vegetables from time to time) and reduce exposer to risky behaviours(drugs) this could really help the person because exposure to opportunistic infections like TB, Hepatiti etc will be reduced. After all infected or not we all humans, there is no need for HIV positive person to believe/think that they should fall in luv with another HIV positive person because love is love, you want to be with the person you love be with them (HIV-/+). There is PrEP and PEP for discodant couple and they can even go for preconception counselling which is really helpful.
Dear Ashok,
I might be likely similar to conditions mentioned by you. I’m on window period at present. How about catching up??
I m Living in kathmandu, unmarried, alone.
Hi Ashok,
If a person starts treatment with a CD4 of above 350 and takes their meds as prescribed, then once they are undetectable it is likely that they will remain undetectable forever.
For how many years can people have an undetectable viral load and good cd4 counts if under HIV treatment. If they start treatment when they have their CD4 count greater than 350.
Thank you dear Lisa. I am 32 years old unmarried male from kathmandu, nepal . I am recently diagnosed HIV +. If I start ART treatment when my CD4 count above 350 , what is my chance to survive 20 years more . health infrastructure here in nepal are poor. I want to marry a HIV positive girl, have 2 babies and survive at least 20 years, is it possible?
ART and HARRT are the same thing, there is no difference. As for the difference in life expectancy this is because of factors that may be unrelated to HIV. For example poverty and access to health care. An increased life expectancy also applies to non positive people from the global north.
Thank you Lisa Thorley for a prompt reply. But why some sites say there is difference between ART and HAART ? And if they are same then why life expectancy of HIV patients is higher in Europe ,america and Canada and lower in other parts of the world using ART treatment ?
Hi Ashok,
If you are healthy and on ARVS, then there is no reason why you can’t live a lot longer than 20years. Have to tried to contact any HIV support groups. It is here where you may meet a HIV+ woman.