A lot of
people are still with the misconception that HIV/AIDS has a cure. I’d like
state here again; HIV/AIDS does NOT have a cure, at least, for now.
Another misconception
is the believe that Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the cure to HIV/AIDS.
FACT: Antiretroviral
therapy is NOT a cure to HIV/AIDS; it is only a management practice which is
used to treat HIV patients, preventing it from developing to AIDS.
ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY, WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL?
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) involves a combination of medicines
that helps fight HIV infection. ART helps control the HIV virus so that the
infected person can live a longer, healthier life, reduce the risk of
transmitting HIV to others, and even prevent the development of HIV to AIDS.
Standard antiretroviral therapy (ART) consists of
the combination of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV
virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. ART also prevents onward
transmission of HIV.
These HIV medicines prevent HIV from multiplying (making copies of
itself), which reduces the ‘Viral Load’, that is, the amount of
HIV in the infected person’s body. Having less HIV virus in the body gives the
body’s immune system a chance to recover and fight off infections and cancers.
Even though there is still some HIV in the body, the immune system is strong
enough to fight off infections.
By reducing the amount of HIV virus in the body, HIV medicines
also reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
Huge reductions have been seen in rates of death
and infections when use is made of a potent ARV regimen, particularly in early
stages of the disease.
WHO recommends ART for all people with HIV as
soon as possible after diagnosis, regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they
are. If left untreated, HIV will attack the immune system and eventually progress
to AIDS.
The choice of HIV medicines to include in an ART depends on
a person’s individual needs. When choosing an HIV regimen, the following
factors are considered by health care providers:
·
Other diseases or conditions that the
person with HIV may have
·
Possible side effects of HIV medicines
·
Potential interactions between HIV
medicines or between HIV medicines and other medicines the person with HIV is
taking
·
Results of drug-resistance
testing (and other tests). Drug-resistance testing identifies which,
if any, HIV medicines won’t be effective against a person’s HIV.
·
Convenience of the regimen. For
example, a regimen that includes two or more HIV medicines combined in one pill
is convenient to follow.
·
Any issues that can make it difficult
to follow an HIV regimen, such as a busy schedule that changes from day to day
·
Cost of HIV medicines
There are several recommended HIV regimens, but selecting
the best regimen for a particular person depends on the factors listed above,
and it is only the doctor or health care provided that can decide which one is best for the particular individual.
Again, HIV/AIDS does not yet have a cure. Protect yourself
and your loved ones.
#StayHealthy
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