Introduction to ART (2015)
1 September 2015. Related: News.
This widely-used treatment guide in now called Introduction to ART.
This is a major revision to reflect important new research and changes to UK guidelines.
This guide includes information about the most important aspects of HIV treatment.
It is written and reviewed by HIV positive treatment people and uses everyday language to explain medical terms.
Main changes to this edition include:
The main changes in the 2015 edition are:
- ART is now routinely recommended for everyone who is HIV positive.
- Your CD4 count is no longer used to decide (or delay) when to start treatment.
- HIV treatment is so effective that a long period of monitoring and counselling before ART is no longer a barrier to starting. This important support can all come later as needed.
- The time that someone is not on treatment is more of a concern now than any risk from taking drugs.
- Using ART in very early infection (within 1, 3, or 6 months) might have additional benefits.
- Having an undetectable viral load is probably the single most effective way to stop HIV transmission.
- UK guidelines no longer recommend efavirenz as a preferred first treatment. Efavirenz can cause mood changes and vivid dreams. This will make starting treatment easier but also raise new challenges to the NHS.
- Information is included on new drugs and formulations that might become available over the next year.
The 4-page ARV drug chart includes:
- All the most commonly used HIV meds.
- The fixed dose combination od dolutegravir/abacavir/3TC (Tivicay)
- This resource is also available as a set of PowerPoint slides.