Treatment for HIV

Today, there are many medications that can actually treat HIV!  However, no cure and no vaccine exists to eradicate the virus.  In addition, how much you adhere to your medication and other factors can contribute to the effectiveness of treatment. That means that people who might live on the street or in an area where HIV medications are not covered by their provincial or state drug plans may face difficulties adhering to medications and may experience poor reactions to the medications.

Currently, there are six classes of drugs with over 20 drugs now available. The five classes are:

• Nucleoside/Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) (nukes)
• Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs) (non-nukes)
• Protease inhibitors
• Entry inhibitors
• Integrase inhibitors
• Maturation inhibitors

The most common are the first three classes.

Depending on circumstances, people living with HIV can talk to their doctors to try out a combination that works for them. Most medications have side-effects and can range from negligible side-effects to very severe side-effects.  A person living with HIV and their doctors can discuss the individuals situations to come up with a plan to stay on track with medications and maintain an appropriate quality of life.

Contact us for more treatment information or view any resources available at www.catie.ca.