Q and A

Question

Can I do body-building if I have HIV?

Hello there,

First of all thank you all very for the wonderful work you are doing.

I was a bodybuilder before I got diagnosed HIV positive. It took me some time but somehow with the right amount of support and help I managed to come to terms with the fact.

I noticed life hasn’t changed much, I just am a little bit more concerned about my health, I’m not on treatment yet and was told that it would still take a couple of years before I needed to start.

So I just wanted to know if it would be possible for me to keep on with my weight lifting? Will I be able to gain muscle mass like before or is the fact of being HIV positive limit me in any way in that particular field? I was told it was great to exercise and all that but still, will it be just the same as before or will my body react differently now that I am positive?

Thank you very much for your help and keep the good work going.

Answer

Thank you for your question.

It is good to hear that you have come to terms with your diagnosis.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t continue bodybuilding. Your body should be able to gain muscle in the same way as it has before. Being HIV positive should not limit you at all. Exercising and keeping healthy is very good for your body’s immune system.

If you take any supplements to build muscles such as steroids then you should mention this to your HIV doctor when you begin medication because some HIV treatments interact with steroids and other supplements.

44 comments

  1. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Zachary,

    Please see this link to all FAQs for HIV testing and HIV transmission.

  2. Zachary

    Hey guys, I have a sex with agirl I suspected was sick, I am very worrying slot

  3. Roy Trevelion

    Hi Frank,

    Unfortunately we don’t have resources to answer more questions about HIV risks and HIV testing. But all FAQs can be seen here.

    But how is your girlfriend doing? Is she on HIV treatment (ART). And does she have access to her viral load and CD4 count results? Please let us know.

    And you can contact the Treatment Action Campaign for local support.

  4. Franklin

    Guys I’m frank
    From southy africa l sleep with a girlfriend after that we go for test she got positive and me negative almost about 3 tymes bt now I’m sick can you help me because at hospital they don’t see anything

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