HIV is a disease that millions of people are living with. The truth is that they are living happy, healthy lives with the help of approved HIV treatments. Treatment for HIV has indeed come a long way, and that’s not hard to see. Though there is still a stigma around the disease, awareness and truthful education on the prevention and treatment tools available are important.
Let’s take a deeper dive into what new treatments are available now and what steps you should take to know your status.
What Does Treatment For HIV Look Like?
The newest and most used treatment available for those with HIV is ART. ART stands for antiretroviral therapy, and basically, it involves taking a specific combination of HIV medicines, also known as a personalized HIV treatment regimen. This regimen does not cure HIV, but it helps to reduce the risks of transmitting it to another person.
It is recommended that anyone who is diagnosed with HIV begin a regimen personalized to them. It is proven to help people with HIV to live longer and more comfortably. The medicines currently in use for ART are grouped into 7 drug classes.
How Does It Work?
Here’s how they work. The virus that is HIV attacks the cells that help you fight infections, and because of that, the immune system is destroyed. The medications prevent the HIV cell from multiplying; this reduces the amount of the virus in the body, also known as the viral load. Because the body has less HIV, the immune system now has a chance to recover and make more of the cells it needs to fight off infection. There is still a small amount of HIV in the body, by the immune system gets a chance to get strong.
The eventual goal of the treatment is to get to a point where the person has an undetectable viral load. This means that the level of HIV in the bloodstream is so low that a viral load test doesn’t pick it up. Anyone who eventually gets to this level has no risk of passing the disease to another person.
Is There Anything Else In The Works?
This treatment method is being used so far at the moment, but HIV researchers are still working. As of 2021, the FDA has approved a new treatment option in the form of an injection called Cabenuva. Cabenuva would be an injection given once a month or once every two months. This would be a much easier option for those who don’t want to take pills every day. At the moment, the use of the injection has only been approved for those with an undetectable viral load.
In addition, a therapeutic vaccine is in development that would also treat HIV. This vaccine is set to strengthen the immune system’s response to the virus and essentially slow down the progress of HIV, turning to AIDS.
Other than these, there are other treatment options still in development and clinical trials. These medications take time to be approved, but in the long run, they are helpful. This is what we mean by HIV treatment has come a long way. Many have gotten to the undetectable viral load count and are living great healthy lives on their HIV regimen.
Choosing The Right HIV Treatment
After testing and receiving test results, the next step is to plan an ART regimen. Your doctor will take a couple of factors into consideration; some of these include possible side effects, drug interactions, and a person’s individual needs. It’s best to follow the regimen that the doctor gives to reduce the risk of drug resistance. Most side effects are manageable, but these treatment options have proven to have benefits that significantly outweigh the risks.
If you don’t know your HIV status and need testing, MyCHN has a 1-minute test available. You can start by scheduling an appointment with a MyCHN HIV Navigator. They will assist you in getting tested and follow up with the next steps after your results are out. For more personal requests, such as modifying your HIV treatment, please schedule an appointment with a provider.
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Tolulope Ayoola
Tolulope Ayoola is the creative marketing content writer at MyCHN. She graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown with a degree in Technical Communications. Her goal and mission is to make healthcare patient content more relatable and interesting to interact with. She combines her creative eye with her technical communication skills to create content for patients. Tolu's past work includes creating blogs, press releases, and social media content for different sectors. She enjoys spending time with her family, writing, and listening to music & podcasts.
